Warriors of Black and White
by BothSidesoftheCoin00100
Summary: Starting were KFP2 left of. An old enemy has returned to get revenge on Po and everyone he holds dear. T for now, Maybe M later: PoXTigress, ShenXOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own Kung Fu panda, Kung Fu panda is owned by Dreamworks, this is my first fan fiction but please enjoy. Rated T, may get moved up to M as the story progresses. A big shout out to FFcrazy15 who has given me many hints and tips. All OC characters belong to me. Lets start the show. WARNING: Has mild language and some gore**

**Chapter 1: Torment**

**Time: Present Day, Location: Unknown**

The clouds were dark, blotting out the sky. The rain was heavy, wearing down on the weary villagers. Lightning struck, signaling ill omens to come. Everyone was silent, what words could be said? Everyone was scared.

The villagers from the Valley of Peace set up tents for the night around the fire, all of them wished this was a bad dream they could wake up from. Never had any of them witnessed such brutality.

Shifu and the Furious 5 set up separate tents around the villagers, in case of attackers. Shifu lay in his tent while Mantis tended to the wound deep within his Masters stomach. Monkey tended to the injured civilians, most of which were burn wounds or stab wounds. Crane circled the sky to see if there were any nearby enemies. Luckily there were none, yet. Viper just stood there looking over to her friend, not sure what to say or what to do. Viper had only seen her like this once, back in Gongmen City, when they were to be executed. She didn't speak, didn't eat, all she did was cry.

With nothing else to say, and the people needing her for help, Viper could only say one thing.

"Tigress … I'm sorry ..."

The lightning struck again as the rain got heavier. Those who had sense went into there tents.

...but not her

Tigress was sitting with her legs crossed, her hands on her lap and her eyes focused one one thing: The River. She never took her eyes of it. Why? Hope, plain and simple hope. Hope that he was …

Tigress felt something cold and wet run down her face

Though it was raining, it was impossible to hide the tears pouring from her eyes. Impossible to hide the pain in her heart. '_You had your chance and you blew it_' Tigress grit her teeth as these thoughts rushed through her head.

'_You lost him once, and now he is gone forever_'

The tears grew heavier

'_What sort of leader are you?_'

Frantically she stood up and looked up and down the river for any signs of life

'_He's dead_'

Tigress clutched onto a bunch of letters she had held onto since the incident

"No, I wont believe it" Tigress whispered to herself

She continued to look but just like every other time, she found nothing. Tigress fell to her knees and punched the earth with her free hand.

The tears poured heavier as the once proud, strong, female tiger lifted her head to the sky to face the heavens and whispered, ever so softly.

"Po...I'm sorry"

**Time: 3 Months Ago, Location Gongmen Harbour**

"You're right, then I choose this!"

with that, Shen pulled out three knives in each of his hands and started his barrage against the Panda who had ruined him. Shen jumped and tried to stab him in the throat but Po simply rolled away. Shen tried again, but the Panda ducked, dodging the strike and in the process grabbed his and and spun him around. Furious, Shen swung around grazing the Panda _just_ below his eye.

'_Let it go? Never, I'll never let it go. How dare he tell me to let it go, he who destroyed my ships, my cannons, my men, MY LEGACY' _

Shen threw his knives at the startled Panda, who kicked up some weak wood from the destroyed ship to block them of. Before Po could even react, Shen rushed at him, Grabbing his lance and lunging at the Panda. Luckily Po managed to dodge the deranged Peacocks blade. He had lost everything he worked hard for, 30 years, gone within mere minutes. He had failed to prove the soothsayer wrong, he failed in his conquest, but he _WILL_ kill this Panda.

Little did Shen know, that in his rage, he was cutting the remaining support rope to the cannon, lingering above the two.

Shen jumped onto a wooden beam and into the air to try for an air strike, but such force broke the beam and the cannon began to fall. As Po rolled out the way, he saw the large cannon fall, and he ran. Shen, now confused looked behind him only to see his impending doom. With no time to move, Shen closed his eyes, and for once, in his life, accepted his fate.

However, fate can be a fickle thing.

As the cannon hit Shen, it crushed him, but did not kill him. Instead it sent him through the weak wood of his boat into the sea. As Shen floated in the water, barely able to open his eyes, he was amazed he was alive. He could already feel that a few of his bones were broken and he needed to breath quickly, but before he could even blink, the rest of the cannon exploded, sending Shen further down into the ocean.

Shen could feel his body on fire, the blast had affected him. Not only was he broken, he was burnt. The shock of the pain took what air he had out of him as he descended more and more into the dark ocean.

Shen began to panic.

He kicked his feet in an attempt to swim, but his metal talons were dragging him down. He dropped his lance and tried to use his wings to swim, but the remaining concealed knives prevented that as well. '_Shit'_ Shen said to himself mentally, his vision was becoming black and blurry. He refused to die like this, but the more he struggled, the more weaker he became. Now unable to move, Shen could only think about what the Panda had said to him.

' … _Was he right? Should I have" just let it go"? … no … even if I did, what would that accomplish? I'd be the most hated man in china, sent to jail or executed. No, I chose my path. Now I can never go back … never … ne...ve..r'_

and with that, Shens vision was nothing but black

Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open. He would NOT let it end this way. The Panda would NOT win, the Panda WILL suffer, and China WILL be his.

With new found strength, the half drowned Peacock ripped open his robe and allowed his knives to fall to the bottom of the ocean. With all the weight gone, Shen used his wings to swim to the top, luckily there was a current on his side, carrying him higher and to shore, hopefully. He was close, he saw the light and finally...

_SPLASH_

Shen head rose out the water, he gasped for air as we was being blinded by the morning sun. Feeling faint, he rested on top of the water, letting the current carry him.

Shen looked to his right, and in the distance he saw the people of Gongmen, the Furious 5, the remaining members of the council, Shifu and the Panda that bested him.

Shen had hoped that the explosion killed that detestable Panda. As Shen was carried away, his eyes began to close and all he could say before embracing the warmth of sleep was "Damn"

**The next day**

Shen awoke on a riverbank somewhere deep in the forest. Before Shen could think, he immediately coughed up alot of sea water. The taste of the salt rising up his throat was enough to make him gag.

"Cough ... cough ... gasp ... gasp ... that was ... gasp ... most ... unpleasant ... ugh"

As soon as he composed himself, he slowly stood up to look apon his surroundings. What he saw made him cringe with irony, rage and defeat.

He arrived were it all started: The Panda village.

It was 30 years since he had been in this village, killing all the panda's ... well, except one. This thought made Shen want to kill something, anything, but he moved on. He was injured, he needed help. Nearby he saw a run down hut that had medical equipment inside. "Strange, i would have thought these would've been destroyed in the fire" said Shen as he rummaged through the medical equipment. Eventually he found what he needed.

Wood to be used as a splint for his broken wing.

Bandages to covers his wounds and hold the wood together

and some Ginseng tea leaves to sooth the pain.

Once all his wounds were covered, Shen looked around for a kettle to brew some tea. Upon further inspection, he noticed this hut had been used recently, but it did not matter. Apon locating the kettle, he made some Ginseng tea and quickly drank it.

Shen, now composed and ready, had to move, and fast.

Shen was prideful but that did not get in the way of his tactical brain. If, for some reason, his conquest were to fail. He gave orders to all his men to retreat to the great cave, 10 miles from Gongmen city. Without Shen, his army would no doubt do something foolish. Without hesitating Shen ran as fast as he could before all his men tore each other apart.

**The next day**

**The Great Cave**

"I dont give a damn what you say, Lord Shen is dead and so is the Boss. I say we avenge them!"

With this, a bunch of wolfs let out a howl to the moon, showing they agree with him. Opposite the Wolf was another, although much smaller and younger, he was not about to back down.

"Avenge them? Believe me, no one wants to get revenge more than me, but you would have us run towards our death. Did you SEE the Panda? He destroyed everything, by himself. You want revenge? go yourself, but i wont have you risk my pack"

The bigger wolf stepped forward "Your pack?"

The smaller wold stepped forward looking up at his opponent "Yes, My pack. My Brother was the wolf boss, I am next in line to command, not some scruffy, flea bitten mutt like you!"

As soon as the final word was said, the bigger wolf retracted his fist and punched his opponent in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. He pulled out his knife and held it to his throat. The smaller wolf looked at his potential killer without fear.

"You are weak, boy. You think you could command all these men?"

He felt a glob of warm spit hit him in the face, as the smaller wolf just smirked.

"you insolent cur!" he raised up the smaller wolf by his throat so all the other wolves could see. "I am in charge now. If Shen were here, he would want revenge, but he isnt, so I shall be his voice. It is what he would have wanted" As he pulled back his hand holding the knife, ready to stab the young wolf, he suddenly froze, as did all the other wolves.

_Clang_

The knife wielding wolf gulped

_Clang_

He dropped the younger wolf to the floor

_Clang_

The young wolf looked up and recognized the metal talons noise. It was a noise that would send a shiver down anyones spine.

_Clang_

Out of the darkness came a figure that shocked all the wolves to there core: Shen. He walked by the stunned wolves over to the wolf, who had now dropped the knife and bowed before his master. Shen was no more than two feet away from the wolf. He bent forward towards the wolfs ear, and said very calmy, very smoothly "so ... you think you know whats best, do you?" without even looking up the wolf replied "I was p-planning to carry on your plan, sir". Shen leaned back up straight, and planted a humoured smirk on his face, his red eyes locked onto the wolf before him. He quickly looked around to see a great number of wolves surrounding him, once again he focused on the one before him. "Stand up" said Shen as he let out a small chuckle, the wolf did as he was told. "So, your a mind reader are you?" said Shen mockingly "well go on then, tell me..." his smirk turned into a devious smile and his eyelids lowered halfway, as to look down on the wolf "what am i thinking, now?" No one liked the way Shen said those last few words, they all knew whenever he spoke like that, trouble was brewing. A smart man would have backed away, but these wolves, werent so smart.

"I-i think that you would want reve - "

Before the wolf could even finish, Shen twirled and slashed the wolfs throat open with his metal talons. The blood oozed from his neck as he tried to gasp for air. Some blood spat out and hit Shen and a few other wolves in the face. As Shens foot hit the floor, he could feel the blood from the razor, trickle onto his bare foot. Shen waited until the wolf hit the floor before turning back to face him.

"Wrong! No one gives the orders but me" Shen turned to his wolves "DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" The wolves all nodded as they stared at the wolf, dead, he had suffered the wrath of Shen, they did not want the same fate. "THEN MOVE! Set up camp, get provisions and someone find me a doctor, NOW!"

Within seconds the wolves were gone, off to do multiple jobs. Shen looked down to the young wolf pull himself up from the floor. The wolf bowed down to Shen but did not dare look at him. Shen did not look well.

"I'm glad your alive my Lord"

Shen let out a sigh of relief as he looked down at the blood covered wolf. "I feel, much, better. Hmph" Shen turned to face the bowing wolf " Ah, your ... Fang wasn't it?"

"Yes my Lord, my brother was your right hand man" said Fang in a slightly sad tone

"Ah ... oh!" Shen remembered that HE was the one who killed him. If news of this got out, the wolves may turn on him. Killing a wolf was bad, but killing there pack leader was worse, a crime no wolf would let slide by. Without even giving it a second thought, Shen replied to this by putting a wing on the boys shoulder "Dont worry, the Panda who killed your brother will get whats coming to him"

The wolf raised his head to face his master, he put a small smirk in his face, stood up and guided Shen to his tent.

"I'll need new robes, new weapons and bring me my blueprints. i have some alterations to make"

"Yes sir"

"How many wolves are left?"

"About one hundred, sir"

"Damn, i'll need to make other arrangments"

"Very well sir. Is there anything else you would like?"

The two entered a giant tent, made for whoever lead the army. Inside were lanterns to light the tent, porclein tables, a soft relaxing bed, top quality carpeting and a fragrance of lavander to sooth the soul. On the table in the middle of the room was eating utensils. The other table to the far back had an inkwell, a paperweight and many, many documents.

"Yes, i am aosrry for your loss, but you are now in charge of the wolf pack" Shen took a step towards Fang "Do not fail me"

Fang could feel the peacocks eyes burn holes into his. His eyes were not the only thing to catch his attention however. He did not want to ask but if it wasnt treated, it could get infected.

"Understood sir"

"Good" Shen walked away, waving his good wing to dismiss the wolf

"Sir? do you want some ointment?"

Shen stopped in his tracks, he turned around with a rather confused look on his face "Ointment? What for"

The wolf gulped. It was now obvious that Shen did not know about his new condition.

"Y-your burn marks sir"

Shen had forgotten. He was crushed but then there was the explosion. He didn't feel any pain but maybe the water from the sea soothed it or the Ginseng was still taking effect. Either way, Shen was burnt, but from what he could see, he saw no markings on his wings. "Fetch me a mirror"

"A-are you sure sir" Thw wolf did not want Shen to see this

"Yes yes, get on with it"

The wolf left, then returned with a full body mirror behind him. He really did not want to suffer Shens anger, so he placed the Mirror down next the tent wall, leaving it barely to stand. The wolf spoke in a nervous tone, with an even more nervous smile on his face "Heh, ugh, here you are, sir"

Shen was getting annoyed at this wolfs cowardice. Normally Shen loved it when people feared him, it made him feel dominant, but he was tired, sore and hungry. He pushed the wolf out of the way and began to look into the mirror.

"Ugh honestly, how bad can it ... "

Shen saw the horror he now was. The cannon that crushed him, cracked the right side of his beak. It was noticable even from a distance. The cannonball shards sliced his chest right down the middle, leaving a horiffic scar to be seen at all times. Finally, the burn mark. He could feel his blood boil as he looked at his face, was it trickery?, was it fate? or was it just bad luck. Shen has black burn marks on the right side of his face. There were minor burns marks on his train, his upper wing and thigh, but his face was the most noticable. If you squinted your eyes, Shens face almost looked like the Yin and Yang symbol, but Shen did not see this, he saw this as a mockery to his pride. This mark would never go away. It would remind him of the Panda who beat him. Why? Because He was now a warrior of black and white. He was now a constant reminder of his greatest failure. The more he looked in the mirror, the more he saw the black and white blend together, the more he thought of that imbecilic, fat, Panda.

Fang took a few steps back, he saw that Shen was about to lose it.

Shen stormed of and walked over to the far of table

"I"

He picked up the paperweight

"HATE!"

He threw the paperweight at the mirror shattering it into tiny little pieces on the floor

"PANDAS!"

Shens whole army heard him scream, and they all knew why. They saw what the Panda did to him and now through each of there minds ran the same thought.

The Panda will pay

**A/N Well there you go, my first chapter to my first story. Please review so i can do a better job next time.**

**So Shen lives, and now he is scarred for life, what will he do to get his revenge, find out soon enough. Laters**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, cant believe that went so well as it did, Hehe, well here it is, Enjoy. Contains Mild language and mild gore and violence, lovely.**

**Chapter 2: A Piece of Peace**

**Meanwhile**

**The valley of Peace**

Po was walking though the valley when his ears started to burn. Someone somewhere must be talking about him. It didn't bother him, he did just defeat Shen and was now the talk of China, but no never wanted that, all he wanted was to be happy. He had just left his fathers noodle shop, after having a heart to heart moment with the old goose and cooking most of the day, Po decided to walk through the Valley which he thought he would never see again.

He walked by the hospital, which was more or less vacant of patients. Po was happy that no one was hurt. He continued his walk, and was greeted by praise by the villagers as he did. Po was so happy to be home. Every thing here was good. Were he learned to walk, and at the same time fall. The swimming hole were he learned to swim. The toymaker who had given him his furious 5 figures, he even gave him one of himself for free. He then passed by the school were he attended when he was a child. It was currently play time in the school, the kid's favorite time of the day. A group of little bunnies spotted the Dragon Warrior and quickly alerted there friends.

"Dragon Warrior"

"Master Po"

"The _big _one"

Po heard all the kids cry out for his attention, he recognized a few of the kids, he taught a few of them some of the basics of Kung Fu. He really shouldn't interfere in the school ground but he couldn't resist the cute little fans

"Hey kids, how ya doing?"

"Good" the kids said in unison

"Haha that's great. So how's school?"

"Boooooring" Po and the other children laughed at the child's remark "Po, did you learn any new moves while you were gone?" Po scratched the back of his neck, he did learn something, but he was not use to all this, he was still modest when it came to his fans.

"Well … yeah … but, uh..."

"Please show us the move Po" As soon as that was said, Po was bombarded with multiple pleas and puppy dog eyes.

Po sighed in defeat and nodded to the children, who in turn all cheered. Po walked over to the tree in the center of the playground and stood under it. He noticed that some of the dew was about to fall of one of the leaves. Po closed his eyes, put his feet into position and slowly waved his arms around him. The children were all silent as they all focused on the Panda. Suddenly the dew fell from the leaf. Po raised his right hand and held the droplet in it. He curved his hand around to the other, letting the droplet travel from one hand to the next. He then let it travel up his arm, around the back of his neck, then down his other arm to his hand where he finally dropped the dew onto the grass.

The children stood there in awe.

"W-what was that"

Before Po could even answer, a familiar voice interrupted them "Inner Peace"

Po turned around to see Tigress standing on top of the roof of the school. Po could do nothing but stare at her as she jumped down to the ground with a twirl. Po quickly snapped out of it and smiled towards his friend. "Hey, that was my line" Po said jokingly.

"Sorry to steal the spotlight" said Tigress, as ever, sarcastically. The children were in even more awe. They never thought that today two master would visit there school.

"Po, you know that adults aren't allowed on the playground during school hours, right? Unless of course you still come here" a smirk could be seen on her face as she walked over to the Panda. Po was taken back a bit, he wasn't that good at come backs, especially when it came to Tigress.

"Well … uh. But, ugh … They tricked me!" Po pointed towards the kids, who in retaliation put on the puppy dog eyes again

The smirk on her face grew even more "The mighty Dragon Warrior, defender of the Valley, savior of China. Was tricked … by children?"

Po raised his finger and opened his mouth to say something, until he realized he was the one who put those words in her mouth. Sighing in defeat, Po lowered his hand and his eyelids halfway down. Tigress could only laugh at this. "C'mon don't take it so bad" said Tigress as she playfully punched Po in the arm "Yeah your right" said Po as he let go of his small defeat and began to smile.

"Shifu wants us to clean up our rooms, they've gotten dusty since we were gone" explained Tigress.

"Sure, but will we make in time for...?"

"Yes Po, don't worry, we will make it in time."

"Great, then lets get moving"

As the two masters left the school, Po turned around to say goodbye, and that he promised to teach them more lessons in the future. Po turned red as he saw the kids were making kissy faces towards the two masters. Luckily, Tigress never noticed this.

The two walked back towards the stairs, watching as the villagers went about there daily lives, preparing what was to come tonight.

"So, how'd you think it will go?" asked Po as he put both arms behind his head.

"I think it will be fun. It'll be nice to unwind, for once"

"Yeah tell me about it. Hey wait, since when did you unwind?"

Tigress looked at him, but not with anger or rage, but with a smile and she simply said "Since a Panda fell from the sky and saved our home" Po went slightly red at this remark. He knew that he brought peace to the valley and Shifu, and now China, but now his greatest achievement was making Tigress more relaxed. Po couldn't help but smile.

"C'mon I'll race you to the barracks" said Tigress as they reached the bottom of the stairs"Sure, are we doing the usual?". Tigress nodded and, without a second to think, the two were off, running up the stairs at alarming speed. Po for a while managed to keep up with Tigress, but eventually he fell behind. Tigress was the first to reach the top, followed shortly after by a worn out Panda. Tigress helped him up to his feet and patted him on the back "I win, you know what that means?" Po grunted to this remark "Yeah, yeah, you'll get breakfast in bed, same time as last time".

The two laughed as they walked of towards the barracks to do there task. Shifu was sitting on top of his staff on top of the training hall. He saw and heard what his two students had done, Shifu could only smile. Ever since Gongmen, the two have become good friends. Tigress, aside from the rest of the 5, never had much much friends. It pleased Shifu that Tigress was letting her guard down and making friends.

Po opened the door to his room, were a gust of dust welcomed him. Po could only cough and splutter at this. However he was not the only one, coughing and wheezing. Miles and miles and miles away, back in the great cave, Shen was being examined by and elderly turtle. Shen did not like this old man being so invasive, but he was a doctor, and Shen was the patient.

Shen remembers when he met the old turtle, it was during his exile. At the time, Shen was still in China when he came across a small village in ruins. Someone had attacked this village and burnt it to the ground, it reminded Shen of his triumph over the Pandas. He was about to move along when he saw a turtle holding another turtle in his arms. Shen still wanted to get revenge on his parents, and conquer China, but even he still had a heart, at the time. Shen ordered his wolves to stop. Shen approached the turtle.

"You there, Turtle, what happened here?"

The turtle was silent for a minute, until he slowly raised his head, revealing the tear pouring from his eyes.

"My wife … they killed my wife"

Shen let out a sigh, he looked at the female turtle. Her head was bashed in, revealing her brain. Her throat was cut, but the blood was dry. This had happened at least a day ago. Her shell was cracked in multiple places. She was killed, but it wasn't an easy death. Shen looked around the village. It seemed as if there were no survivors, except this turtle in front of him. Shen placed a wing on his shoulder. "I am so sorry"

"They came to me … for medical help. They needed it, I could see it. I treated there injuries, they told me they never felt better … then they killed them. They knocked me out and ransacked our village. Its my fault. I couldn't save them. I'm a doctor, and I couldn't even save my own wife, family and friends"

Shen took all this into consideration, he looked back at his wolves. They didn't have a doctor among them, and having one would prove invaluable.

Shen took a sympathetic sigh, not removing his wing " There is nothing here for you now … come with me..." Shen looked the turtle in the eyes " and I promise, whoever did this, will pay, dearly"

The turtle could see the truth in his eyes. Without saying a word, the turtle got up and packed his medical equipment and left with the Peacock. Shen stayed close to his new comrade making sure he was alright. As said before, at this time, Shen did have a heart.

"I didn't catch your name"

"... Tao … Tao Su"

Shen nodded and mentally noted this name "My name is Shen"

From that day forward the turtle stuck with his master. Treating the others of there injuries. He was a shy man, who mostly operated behind the scenes. The only time, he ever showed anger, was the day they found the bandits who caused him pain. The wolves tore them apart leaving only the leader for the broken turtle.

"What will you do with him?" asked Shen as he stood beside the turtle, gazing at the bandit.

Tao let out a devious grin "Now … I shall practice my medicine" and with that he brought out a scalper from his bag and stabbed the bandit in both his eyes. All the years of torment and grief he had suffered would be avenged tonight. Tao pinned the bandit down as he went to work with his blade.

Cutting and cutting and cutting and cutting until there was nothing left to cut.

Shen was quickly brought out of his memories by a pain on the right side of his face. Tao was patting the burn marks with ointment with a cloth. Shen let out a small hiss every time the cloth touched his wound.

"Don't be such a baby. It only nips a little"

"Oh be quiet, you old … thing" Shen let out a sigh of annoyance, he didn't want to ask this, but he had to. "So, my face … will I get my glorious good looks back?"

Tao paused for a minute, assessing the damage that had happened to Shen. Tao talked as if he was talking about the weather "Your wing will be out of use for at least a month, the scars on your chest will eventually fade away and feathers will cover it. Your beak has been put back into place, but will have to heal on its own. Any burnt feathers will fall out and be replaced by others …"

Shen lingered over the old man, looking at him coldly. "Go on" said the Peacock in a soft, yet evil whisper.

Tao gulped "Y-your face will not get infected but, the burn marks will forever remain there, I am sorry"

Tao looked up, expecting a furious Shen, but what he saw was different. Shen was angry, but he was more hurt than angered. Peacocks were known for the beauty, the charm and charisma. In his younger life, he has attracted the fancy of many women, but now … now he was nothing short of a

"freak" muttered Shen, below his breath.

Shen got up and walked to the table in the middle of the tent as Tao left. Fang had brought him some food. Koi fish, with some dumplings, rice and more Ginseng tea. Shen began to eat his meal as he skimmed over his blue prints for his cannon. At that time Fang walked in.

"How is the meal sir?"

"Delightful" Shen did not take his eyes of the blue prints as he ate.

"I'm glad you like it. So, sir if you don't mind me asking, what is our next move?"

Shen stopped eating and moved his eyes to the young wolf. He let out a sigh and gestured the wolf to sit.

"I don't know. My designs were flawless and yet he caught the cannonballs with his bare hands. Unless I can remove the Pandas hands, I don't see how I can defeat him. Not to mention, our numbers are thin."

"I have a suggestion sir"

Shen was interested, slightly. "Go on"

"Well, we hire mercenaries. Nearly every mercenary gang in China has a score to settle with the Dragon Warrior. Add them all up and we should have ourselves an army"

Shen got up from his seat, a blank expression on his face.

The wolf gulped

The peacock walked over beside him, placed a wing on his shoulder and laughed. Fang felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.

"That is a glorious idea my boy, hmhmhmhm, Yessss, unifying the thugs and bandits of China would prove to be an astounding army. However there is one, small problem."

"Whats that?" Shen picked up the wolf by his neck and planted his face right in front of his

"MY PREVIOUS ARMY WAS KILLED BY ONE PANDA" Shen dropped the wolf back onto the seat."No matter out number, no bandit or mercenary is skilled enough to stand up to the Panda, or the 5 for that matter"

The room was silent for a moment, when the wolf plucked up the courage to say "W-well, why don't we invite some masters then?"

Shen was about to lose his temper with the young wolf, but then something clicked in his head. His eyes widened at the idea now weaving in his head. A giant, evil smile was planted on his face. Shen stroked his chin to think if _they_ would even accept the invitation. There was only one way to find out. Shen said very calmly and smoothly. "Hire as many mercenaries as you can. Tell them that we are starting a vendetta against the Dragon Warrior, and then China". With that the wolf left, but before he set foot out the tent, Shen added "and send in my messenger" The wolf nodded and then left.

Shen strode over to the table at the far back and pulled out multiple sheets of paper. He reached for his inkwell but there was no quill. "Oh for the love of -" Shen, took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He reached to his train and pulled out one of the burnt feathers "Ow". He dipped the tip into the ink and started to write.

Eventually a beady eyed crow entered the room, he bowed before his master, who was to busy to even notice the crow. Shen was writing out letters with such energy, it would seem as if he had accomplished the greatest thing in the world. After a minute of two, he sealed the letters in separate envelopes and put down the names of who they were to be sent to and where they were last known. He walked over to the crow, and handed him four letters. "You remember these people. Right?" The crow read the names on each letter, once he read the last one he raised his head and with an understanding smirk on his face, nodded. "Then go". Just as the crow was ready to take of, "Wait" the crow turned towards Shen who had a look of uncertainty on his face. After a minute of thinking, Shen picked up the make shift quill and wrote out another letter. This letter seemed more worded than the others, but in no time at all, Shen was finished. He sealed it up and wrote the name and last known location on it.

He handed it to the crow, the crow read the name

'_No … he doesnt mean …' _The crow gulped as this person was not a person to get angry.

"Sir … are you sure?" and wouldn't you know it, Shen did something to make this person angry.

" … Yes … now go" As the crow flew of, Shen sat down on his chair, thinking about the people he had sent the letters to. His mind stuck with the last letter. Was it a good idea? To late now. Shen shook his head as he had other things to think about. Shen began to chuckle and then laugh as the twisted idea he had began to grow in his mind.

**A/N Well what did you think, review so i know what to improve on. Ooooh what is shen planning, who are these mysterious beings shen has wrote to? Find out soon. I'll try and update soon, i have alot of free time on my hands. I may start taking requests, so please feel free to ask away. Laters**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Back again, so far I seem to be doing a good job. I hope I can keep it up. Tell me what you think of the OC characters. Enjoy. Warning: Contains mild violence, blood and gore, mild language.**

**Chapter 3: Party & Invitations**

**That Night, The Valley of Peace**

Po and the rest of the 5 had long since finished tidying up there rooms and were getting ready for the night to come. Tonight, nearly everyone in China was celebrating the Dragon Warriors victory over Shen. The Valley was no exception, but the Masters did not mind, in fact they preferred to celebrate at home than anywhere else. They knew the people, they knew what was there and after what had happened, they wanted to be close to home.

Since this was a special night, everyone decided to dress and look smart. Monkey was the first to get ready. He stepped out of his room wearing a black waistcoat with golden trimmings, along with some black pants. Immediately after Monkey stepped out, Crane left his room. He had groomed his feathers and was wearing a new hat, followed by Mantis who, since he was so small, just made himself look presentable. Viper then slithered out her room. The slender snake was wearing her lotus flowers on her head, but there were two long red ribbons attached to each of them. Viper was also wearing ruby red lipstick, blue eyeliner and she smelt of peaches.

Monkey and Cranes mouths were wide open at the snake, never before had they seen her so beautiful. Mantis simply smirked "Hey there good looking, hows it shaking?"

"Wouldn't you like to know" Said the snake as she winked at the taken back insect. Po was the next to step out of his room. He wore finely made black pants with a red sash to go around it and a red unbuttoned waistcoat with the Chinese symbol of peace on the back. Around his neck was a necklace of the Yin and Yang symbol, the others had to admit it, he looked good.

"So guys, what do you think? To much?" Asked Po as he was showing of his new threads.

"I think it suits you" Said Tigress who was now stepping out her door. Po turned to face her to thank her for the compliment, but when he did, he could only stop and stare, as did the others in the hallway. Tigress was wearing a long black cheongsam dress, laced in white, and on the dress was a golden dragon on the side. Tigress had even went to the trouble of putting on lipstick, even though it was black lipstick, to Po it was noticeable. Po had never seen this side of Tigress before, no one had, she looked beautiful. No, stunning. This was new to Po, but he liked it.

"So? What do you think?" asked the Tiger standing across the doorway from Po. Po tried to answer but his words came out as gibberish. Tigress giggled at this as the Panda shook his head, trying his best to focus.

"Y-you look amazing" said Po, finally

"Wow Tigress, when did you get that?" asked the snake

"I bought it for special occasions"

"Well, black certainly is your color" said Viper as she slithered up to Tigress to make sure she did her make up right.

"Viper, I _can_ put make up on" She made sure to show her annoyance.

"Sorry, it's just we have never seen you with make up. Still I admit, you, look, great" As Viper said each word, she tugged on the dress, sorting it out. Tigress let out an annoyed sigh. Po was looking at her with a face showing he was in deep thought.

Eventually he said " You know, I think there's something missing here" Tigress and Viper stopped what they were doing and glared at the Panda opposite them.

"Like what?" Said Tigress with a _this-better-be-good _look on her face. With that Po ran outside and then quickly came back, holding something in his hand. He leaned forward and put this object in Tigress's hair, right behind her ear. Once Po was done, she turned around to look in the mirror. She was amazed before, but now … words could not explain how she felt. Po had went into the gardens and picked a red rose and then put it as an ornament in her hair. Tigress blushed at the gesture, though it was hard to tell with the colour of her fur. Tigress turned to Po and said "Thank you"

"Don't mention it" said Po who was now more in awe at her beauty.

As the two females began to talk, Po walked over to the three males. "Hey guys, looking smart"

"Hehe, yeah, you too, " replied Monkey, trying his best to hold back a laugh

"What? What are you talking about?" Po said, trying to make it seem as if nothing happened.

"He's talking about this" and with that Mantis began to imitate Po as he stumbled over his words as he looked at Tigress, then he went on about the whole flower thing. Monkey and Crane laughed at this impersonation while Po turned a little red with embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, whatever guys, c'mon lets get this party started!"

Po and the others walked down towards the valley, were the celebration was already in motion. The children ran around playing with there figures of Po and the 5, while some of the children tried to copy what Po had shown them that morning. There was a puppet show of the battle of Gongmen harbor, where the kids laughed with joy as puppet Po beat puppet Shen. noodle shop was open and business was booming. Most of the adults were either drinking sake or dancing to the music the minstrels was playing. Shifu was there to, he was having a quiet drink while over looking the Valley.

Po and the others decided to have a toast to there victory. They all went up and ordered six shots of sake. When it came everyone picked up there own glass, which was hard for Mantis, the glass was about the same size as him. Po raised his glass, as did the others.

"To Peace" said Po

"To Peace" Said the 5 in unison. Then they all drank the sake that was in the glasses. Each of them let out a relaxed sigh. It was a nice smooth drink. Mantis didn't let out a sigh though. He let out a …

"Ugghhh_" _followed by a _THUD_

...as he face planted the counter he was standing on. He was out cold. It wasn't that he was a lightweight, but I'm sure if you drank from a glass the same size as you, you would be out cold as well. Monkey decided to take him back to the barracks. As they all laughed at what just happened, miles above them, a crow was soaring through the night sky.

The crow had a bag wrapped around him containing the letters than Shen had wrote. If he lost those letters, his life would be over. He knew that two of the recipients were currently in China. The others were across the sea. During Shens exile, Shen did not stay in China, he traveled the world, seeking not only to improve his fighting technique, but a way to get his revenge on China. During this time, Shen met many interesting characters, one of which was Tao the Turtle. The crow knew it would be at least a weeks journey, maybe two for his job to be finished. He was already approaching his first destination: a swamp. This swamp was well known for being the home to many crocodiles and alligators, in fact, many of them eyed the crow as a potential meal if he weren't so fast. Eventually, the crow had reached his destination.

The far end of the swamp was littered with skulls and bones, most of them for rituals, others were just snacks. There was a small hut, barely lit with a dim light. Looking through the window, the walls were covered with voodoo dolls and many other spiritual bits and pieces. This crocodile was known for one thing: dealing in death. Cautiously, he knocked on the door and was shortly greeted by the biggest crocodile the crow had ever seen. She was wearing a purple low cut top with a red bandanna over her head, her bellybutton had been pierced with a ruby diamond for fashion. Around her waist was a blood red cloth skirt. She leaned forward to the startled crow and said "You took longer than I expected, sugar". The crow was taken aback but wasn't that surprised, he knew this woman was clairvoyant, among other things. "You got something for me cutie pie, or are you just here to see big Ol' Mamma Croc?" said the towering crocodile as she stroked the crows face.

"Lord Shen sends his regards" said the crow as he handed her the letter.

"Hahaha, I thought that little darling had forgotten all about me". As she took the letter and read it, the crow took a brief moment to rest. Mamma Croc, or Madame Du Croc as the wanted posters call her, met Shen as he trudged on through China. Originally , Shen was to be her lunch, but the Peacock pleaded with her. He offered the female fresh meat, which Tao had made from the bandits, there skulls and there souls. Shen knew who and what she was: A Voodoo Woman. Death was only that start of the souls journey, but if your soul was taken, torment would forever haunt you. Croc let Shen go by, and told him that if he were to ever need help, he should 'just call'. Eventually, the giant crocodile threw then letter into the open fire lighting her room. "Well, Ol' Mamma Croc, is to old to travel nowadays, but for that sweet sugar, I'll be there with bells on". With a nod of approval, the crow took of into the night sky once again. '_ one down, four to go'_ the crow said to himself mentally.

Back at the party, the children were now almost asleep and the adults were staggering, be it from alcohol or from dancing to much. Po, Crane and Monkey decided to grab some noodles as Tigress and Viper went away to do 'girl stuff'.

"So..." said Monkey as he swallowed some noodles. "Whats the deal with you two". Monkey nudged Po as he signaled towards Tigress. Po nearly choked on his noodles, until Crane patted him on the back, helping him swallow.

"C'mon guys, not this again" said Po as he cleared his throat.

"Aw, c'mon, there IS something going on between you two isn't there?" asked the avian bird. Meanwhile, the two lovely ladies were having, almost the same conversation.

"I don't know what your talking about" said a slightly blushing tiger to her snake friend. "Oh, please. You _hugged_ Po, then he hugged you, and you didn't even hurt him. You've never hugged anyone before, let alone let anyone hug you" Tigress was about to say something but simply couldn't. After a minutes silence, words finally left her mouth "Okay, lets say that, perhaps, there was something ..."

"... going on, what could she see in me. I'm just a big fat Panda, remember?"

"True, but maybe she likes larger men" said Monkey, trying to hold in a laugh. Po just glared at him. Crane decided to interrupt "Your the big fat Panda, who saved China, remember?" Crane had a good point.

Viper simply sighed and shook her head "Look, your not so bad as you make yourself out to be. Remember how Po looked at you when he saw you tonight?" Tigress did remember and it made her turn a hot shade of pink. Viper smiled at her small triumph. "But what about the way I treated him?

"What about the way she treated me, she hated me before"

Viper and Crane said at the same time, although they didn't know it "So? That was then this is now." Po scratched the back of his neck, while Tigress just looked away feeling flustered.

"So?" asked Monkey

"So what?" asked a confused Panda

"What are you going to do now" asked the now intrigued snake

Both Po and Tigress looked at there friends and said, rather embarrassed "I-i don't know"

Suddenly, the minstrels started playing music again, it was a lively well known tune. Every villager grabbed a partner and started to dance with whatever energy they had left. Crane and Monkey were about to continue there discussion with Po when they realized he was gone. Po wandered the valley until he found Tigress and Viper, nervously he walked over to the two. "Hey guys"

"Hey Po" said Viper who still had her victory smile on her face "Where are the others?'

"They're over there" Po pointed to the direction behind him " I uh – came to ask you something Tigress". Tigress's eyes shot wide open as did Vipers. Tigress mentally slapped herself, after all he only wanted to ask a question. "Ask away" said Tigress, regaining her composure. "Well, uh, I know how much you love this song and I was wondering, heh, if you would …." Po muttered the last couple of words, but Tigress heard them perfectly. With a shocked face, Tigress stood up and looked Po in the eyes and asked "What?" just to make sure she HAD heard right. Po cleared his throat, but it didn't help, he said it once again, this time in a high pitched voice "would you dance with me?" Po turned an amazing shade of red as he looked at Tigress waiting for an answer. Viper was stunned as she looked at her two friends. Tigress didn't know what to say. No one had asked her to join anything, and now she was being asked to dance, with _him_. There was nothing wrong with Po, she just didn't expect it. Tigress knew that if she accepted, she would never hear the end of it from Viper, but she couldn't help feel warm inside at the Pandas sweet gesture.

Tigress was about to open her mouth and give her answer when the fireworks display was set of. Everyone was startled for a second, then everyone stared in awe at the display. Everyone, except Tigress. As she watched one firework explode after the other, her mind kept jumping back to that one time, those mere seconds of her life that ruined her. The loud bang and the scream of her friend. It was all to much. Tigress pushed Po out of the way and ran towards the Jade palace. Po looked at Viper with concern, Viper gave him the same look. Viper was about to give chase, but Po stopped her, saying he would go.

**Jade Palace, Kitchen**

Tigress was sitting at the table, her face buried into her hands, crying. She wasn't one to cry, and so didn't want anyone to see. Tigress had never felt this much pain before, she mentally slapped herself, saying that its just a memory, he is alive, but it didn't help. She knew that she had failed. She failed China, she failed her friends, she failed … ' _Po '_

Tigress snapped out of her self pity, she forgot that Po had asked her to dance, and she had brushed him of. Po was probably crushed or hurt. Tigress knew she had to make amends, she got up, went to the door and opened it, only to find said Panda on the other side. Po could see had been crying, over what though, he had no clue.

"Hey" said Po, trying to break the ice

Tigress sniffed, still slightly crying "Hey"

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine. C'mon we have a dance to get to" Tigress tried to walk past Po, but Po put his paw on he shoulder and looked her in the eyes. Po could see hurt, regret and pain in her eyes. Tigress could see concern in his. Po took a few steps into the kitchen, making Tigress take a few steps back. Po closed the kitchen door, with his other paw still on Tigress's shoulder. As soon as the door was closed, Po pulled Tigress in for a hug. Tigress was taken aback by this. Po thought maybe this wasn't a good idea, before when they hugged, it was one sided and awkward, but before Po could break away, he felt to warm hands slide up his back. Tigress was hugging him back.

Tigress rested her head on the Pandas shoulder, she let the tears flow from her eyes, not from pain, but from comfort, she was happy that Po was with her. Tigress squeezed the Panda ever so gently, Po returned the gesture, feeling the tears soak into his fur he used his right paw to stroke the back of the tigers head.

"It's okay, let it all out" Tigress was more than happy to comply

"I'm sorry" whimpered Tigress

"Nah, it's alright, you've just soaked my fur is all" Po let out a small chuckle as did Tigress. It didn't last long though as more tears came from her eyes. "I failed you Po. I'm sorry"

"When did you -"

"When Shen blasted you with the cannon, I thought … I thought..." Tigress buried her face deeper into the Pandas fur, and whimpered " I thought I lost you"

Po was stunned, he didn't know how to react or feel. He felt giddy that THE Master Tigress cared for him that much, but he also felt sad because he was the reason she felt so bad. Po pulled himself away ever so slightly from Tigress, not breaking the hug, he used his right paw to raise her head to meet her eye to eye. Po stared at those beautiful yellow eyes, as Tigress stared at the green ones before her. After a few seconds, Po smiled and said softly, while stroking Tigress's cheek. "Tigress. You could never disappoint me, you can never fail me, or anyone for that matter. I'm still here aren't I? Tigress, I promise that I wont be going anywhere"

"Don't promise that" interrupted Tigress

"To late" mocked Po "I refuse to go anywhere. Not that I'm afraid of death … although I am a bit, heh, but the real reason is I don't want to see you like this, ever"

Tigress wasn't sure if it was the hug, the words, or the truth in his eyes, but she believed him. Po wiped the last tear from her face as they hugged once more. Then out of the blue they both heard a loud growl.

"Have you eaten at all tonight?" asked Po with a smirk on his face

"N-no not yet"

"C'mon, I'll cook you something nice" as he sat her down he went over to start cooking

"You don't have to, we can go back and grab something there" the tiger suggested

"Oh! No its alright. I want to" He side glanced a wink towards Tigress who then turned to face the table, a bright shade of red. Po cooked a delicious meal for them both and for the rest of the night, they sat in the kitchen and talked, laughed and enjoyed each others company.

Later that night, Shifu and the other masters, found there way back home. They all decided to get a small snack before going to sleep, but when Shifu opened the door, they all saw that Po and Tigress had fallen asleep in there seats, next to each other. Po's head was resting on the table and Tigress's head was resting on him. Shifu smiled at this and told his students that there would be no midnight snack for them tonight, and with that, they all left, leaving the two in there slumber.

**Near the outskirts of China**

Crow was making good time, he was close to his second destination: The Valley of Snakes. King Cobra was the recipient this time, and as his name suggests, he is King of the snakes … or was. He was overthrown by his people when he failed his people on multiple occasions. Now he spent most of his time in the local tavern, plotting revenge on those who betrayed him. This is how Cobra and Shen met, through there exile. Finding common ground on betrayal, they swore to each other, should the time arise, they will help each other get revenge, and now, Shen was calling in a favor. The Crow entered the tavern, where he saw hundreds of snakes glare at him. The eyes were almost dancing around him, sending him into a trance. He couldn't feel his wing, then his leg, then his whole body. Behind him however as the snake eyes entranced him, one of the snaked had there mouth wide open, ready to devour the poor bird in one gulp. As his body became more limber, the letter for Cobra slipped out of the bag, onto the floor for all the snakes to see. "Stop!" Shouted one of the snakes, and with that the crow snapped out of his trance and the snake behind him moved away. The crow had no idea what just happened, but before he could even think, a giant black King Cobra was right in front of his face. His long venomous fangs were showing, and he hissed with made his tongue tickle the edge of the crows beak. "Letter for me? Boy?" said the gruff Cobra. The crow was so scared, that he could only nod. Cobra picked up the letter with his tail and opened it, read it, crumpled it up and said "Let scruffy here go, boys, I believe he has work to do, and I..." Cobra threw the ball of paper into the open stove "Have a debt to pay." The crow took flight once again, as fast as he could. Cobra stared at the paper as it began to burn brightly, into ash.

**The Next Morning**

Tigress awoke to find herself waking up in the kitchen, blinded by the morning sun. As her eyes became more and more adjusted to the sun, she began to remember the events of the previous night. She remembered the crying, the hugging, then the laughter that followed afterward. Tigress looked and found Po, sleeping in his seat on the opposite side of the table. '_Huh, I swore he was beside me the whole night_' She was about to get up, when she noticed, before her on the table was a bowl of porridge, sprinkled with cinnamon and peaches. Tigress smiled at the Pandas kindness, despite what had happened, he still remembered the bet. Tigress picked up her bowl, walked over to the Panda and whispered in his ear "Thank you" and with that, she kissed him on the cheek. Po grumbled as a smile went on his face. Tigress quietly opened the door and left the Panda to his sleep.

**Somewhere Over the Sea**

The crow has been lucky. While flying over to Russia, he had bumped into the Eagle, known as Razorbeak, one of the recipients. Being a smaller bird, the crow felt threatened by Razorbeaks presence, and for good reason. Razorbeak lost the upper half of his beak during a fight some years ago. Shen found him, and at first mocked his weakness. The broken Eagle begged Shen for help, even offering to pay him. Shen had no need more money, but loved a challenge. Using some of the metal he had collected, he fashioned a razor sharp upper beak for the bird, which was then welded onto his face. In return, Razorbeak offered his services to the Lord at any time. Since then Razorbeak has taken his new look to fantastic lengths. He could swoop in, slice your throat and leave before you even saw him. Any thing caught in his mouth would be torn to shreds. This wasn't his only weapon. His talons were equally deadly. This was one bird, not to be messed with. Following Razorbeak was a small army of loyal birds of different types. The crow bumped into him during mid-flight, so there wasn't enough time for idle chatter, thankfully for the crow. He gave the letter to Razorbeak, who in turn read it, nodded and sent the young crow on his way. Simple as that. There were now two letters left, and the recipients, were the most dangerous of all.

**At the Jade Palace**

Monkey and Crane were stifling there laughter as they sat at the table eating breakfast, looking at Po. Mantis, who was incredibly hungover, walked into the room looking for either something to eat or sooth the pain. As soon as he got onto the table, he said good morning to the two masters and then looked at Po.

"Hahahaha, ow ow ow, my head" said Mantis who hurt his own head while laughing at Po. Po woke up to the sound of his friends laughter.

"Yawn. Morning guys, whats so funny?"

"Nothing Po, nothing. By the way, you forgot to take your make up of last night" said Mantis mockingly.

"What?" replied the rather confused Panda. Crane handed him a mirror and Po saw what he meant immediately. Po had black lipstick on his cheek. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. Tigress must have kissed him at some point. Po turned pure red, half out of embarrassment, the other half out of shyness. Tigress kissed him, even if it was on the cheek, that was an accomplishment on itself.

"Viper told us that she came here and you followed her" Monkey pointed out.

"What did you guys do?" asked a curios Crane

"I know what they did. They were all like 'oh, take me on this table right now, I can no longer keep myself from you" said Mantis as he now made kissy noises. Monkey and Crane laughed at the little insect. Mantis did not see Po's hand come up beside him, and Po put his hand into position and

_SNAP_

Po snapped his fingers, sending a roaring noise through the insects hungover head. "Uuuuuugggghhhhhh" Mantis collapsed onto the table as Po got up and left. He said he was going to was his face and get ready for the day. Even though Po was never going to hear the end of it from Monkey, Mantis or Crane, the smile never left his face. Tigress kissed him on the cheek. Po's life just became much more awesome.

**Four Days Later**

**Russia**

A boar was thrown to the ground, only to be picked up by his hair and thrown into a wall. The boar took one second to collect himself as he got back into his fighting position. The boar charged towards his opponent, attempting to drive his tusks into his body. It didn't work. The opponent grabbed the two tusks and lifted the boar, upside down, above his head. Suddenly, he swung the boar down to the ground, where he then raised his knee, slamming it into the boars face. The boar, seemingly lifeless, was dropped to the floor. The crow landed just in time to see that brutal knee to the face. From what he could see, he had landed in a small rural village somewhere in Russia. The local pastime was dueling. From what the crow saw, the boar had lost, and was to pay up.

"Good match, how much do I owe you?" asked the boar, staggeringly. The opponent however did not say a single word. Instead he unsheathed his claws and and clawed at the boars face. Blood spat everywhere, he clawed the boar right in the eye. His vision was blurry and he could barely stand. He looked around to find his opponent. "WHAT THE FUCK! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE" the boar held both of his hooves over his eye trying to stop the blood. His opponent turned back to face the boar. The crow, not got a good look at this man. He was a Russian Black Bear. He was wearing dark purple pants, which look like they had been torn multiple times, in the background you could see a long gray coat which probably belonged to the Bear. He had razor sharp claws, one of them now trickling with blood, razor sharp teeth, now grinning at the boar, and his most noticeable feature: A scar, that ran straight through his right eye, making it useless.

The bear stood tall and looked down at the boar. In a deep toned voice, with a strong Russian accent he went on to say "I do not want your money, I want praise. I have marked you, so now everyone will know that, I, Razputin Alexandrov, have beaten you." With that the bear turned and walked over to his coat. The crowd who watched the fight began to disperse, and the boar ran to the nearest doctor. All who were left were, Razputin and the Crow.

Before the crow even began to walk "So, the Peacock prince, he has found me a challenge?" The crow gulped, he recognized him, he just arrived and he recognized him. "Y-yes I have a letter for you" The bear began to walk away. "Razputin, can you at least take the letter." The bear stopped in his tracks, and without turning around. "The Peacock is in China, in hiding, in cave most likely. Yes?" The crow nodded "Then I will find him, dasvidaniya, Crow." With that the bear walked away. One letter was left, but this one would take a while, the crow had no idea where this person was, and even if he knew, he would be scared out of his mind, but if he did not look, Shen would kill him. The expression 'damned if you do, and damned if you don't' fit his situation perfectly. Reluctantly, he took of into the sky, searching for the last recipient.

**1 week later**

**Location: Unknown**

The crow had been flying around all of Europe for a week. He was tired, cold and homesick. After some thought, he decided to head back home, and deal with Shens wrath. As the crow flew over Belgium, he heard the soft music of a flute, in the wind. The crow stopped to look around, only one person played that tune. He dove down towards the ground where he saw a small caravan of traveling gypsies. Quickly he scanned all who were there, none of the faces were recognizable. However he couldn't see the face of one gypsy who was shrouded by an umbrella, held by the ground. This gypsy was playing the flute, it had to be -

_THWIP_

Before the crow could even finish that thought, a dart had hit him in the chest, almost instantaneously, he was paralyzed. He fell to the ground with a loud thump. The gypsies gathered around the crow. He couldn't move or speak, but he could see what was going on. The gypsy who was playing the flute, walked over to the crow and picked up his last letter. When the mysterious gypsy saw who sent the letter, a foot was pressed on the crows neck. As the gypsy read more and more of the letter, the more the foot of the reader pressed down on the poor birds neck, and when the letter was finished, all everyone could hear was

_CRACK_

The gypsy, had broken the crows neck. One of the other gypsies came up and asked "Will you be leaving us?". The gypsy put the letter in a bag, removed the foot from the bird and nodded to the gypsy. Everyone watched as there friend walked away towards China. The gypsy, pulled out the letter once again to read it over. Once done, again. The gypsy smirked and said devilishly

"Shen … It's been too long"

**A/N: A Crocodile, A King Cobra, A Eagle, A Bear and a ?, who is this mysterious gypsy and what did Shen do? How you guys liking it so far. Review so I know what to improve on. What do you think of my O/C? Ill update asap. Laters**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update this one, I've been busy with stuff TT. Anyway a few things to say, BlackLal, if you want a kiss from her you gotta go through Shifu and Po, so good luck with that. Also, to you all, do you think I should change this to M rated or keep it at T. It will get worse. Anyway, here it is, I hope you enjoy. Warning, contains violence and gore. You should really expect this of me, a lot.**

**Chapter 4: Inner Strength**

"Lord Shen, we have guests" said Fang, peering his head into the tent. Shen was sitting at the center table, wearing his glasses, working away at his blueprints. In one of his hands was his make-shift quill, in the other was a cup of tea, which had just left the Peacocks mouth. Shen casually told the young wolf to send them in. Shortly after, a Crocodile, a Snake and an Eagle entered the tent.

"Greetings my esteemed colleagues, welcome to my humble abode" said Shen as he got out of his chair and walked over to the three.

"I do declare, your manners haven't decayed over time" said Madame du Croc as Shen kissed her hand. He then walked over to the other two and bowed respectfully. "Razorbeak, Cobra, it's been far to long"

"Indeed it has old friend" said Razorbeak, bowing back at Shen.

"Yeah. Hey, something happen to your face, or have you always been so ugly?" smirked Cobra as he bowed back to Shen. When he raised his head however, he was face to face to one of Shens knives. The tension is the tent was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

Shen was giving the snake the most coldest glare ever imaginable. Shen leaned forward and said softly, although everyone in the tent could still hear it "Never … ever ..." the blade got closer to the snakes face "make fun of me, ever again. Understood?" The snake nodded, ever so softly. Shen put away his knife, the changed his mood into a happy and joyous one, as if nothing had happened at all "Good, now then, might I offer you all something to eat or drink? How was the journey here?"

The three were confused at this mood swing but decided to go along with it as they all sat down at the table with Shen. Razorbeak was the one to break the silence"So … you called us here for 'something important' right? And not just for a tea party I hope"

"Haha, no no no." laughed Shen as he poured out tea for his guests "I need you all for my newest plan to take over China"

"That's all sweetie? You have your army, and your weapons for that, right? So why are we here?" asked the Madame.

"The reason my plan failed last time was because of one measly Panda, if I am to succeed this time, I'll need as much help as I can get."

"Who is this _Panda_" scoffed the snake. Shens pleasant smile turned into a hateful frown at the mention of the Panda.

"I think you all know him, he is, of course, the Dragon Warrior." At this, all the guests glared at Shen and put down there tea. They all heard about the Dragon Warrior. He defeated countless bandits, destroyed Tai Lung and, now to there knowledge, had stopped Shen.

"You want us to help you destroy the Dragon Warrior?" asked the Eagle

"Yes, don't worry, I have a plan to achieve this goal. This one is full proof."

"What's in it for us, darling?"

Shen got out of his seat and began to walk around the table, walking behind each of the three. "King Cobra, when China is mine, you shall have your kingdom back, and in turn, your revenge" Cobra couldn't help but smile at the promise of revenge. "Razorbeak, need I remind you that without my augmentation..." Shen tapped the Eagles metal beak "you would be useless to everyone. Your men would have either left you or eaten you alive. You _owe _me" Shen was sure to put emphasis on the 'owe', simply to point out that he had the upper hand. Razorbeak could only frown and nod in defeat. "Finally, Madame Du Croc, imagine, you, the most bewitching voodoo practitioner in the world, owning the soul of the one and only Dragon Warrior." An evil smile was immediately planted on the crocodiles face. Such a powerful warrior at her disposal, whenever she wanted. In anticipation, the now amazed crocodile nodded.

"Good, now, I am currently expecting two more guests" Shen sat back down, thinking about what he said. "Well, maybe just one. Either way, we wait for them to arrive, then my plan will be revealed to you all. Understood?" The trio nodded, picked up there cups and resumed drinking there tea. Shen watched them all drink, as a small smirk could be seen at the corner of his mouth. Things were coming together smoothly.

**A few days later**

**The Jade Palace, Training hall**

Po and the Five were training in the training hall. Monkey was practicing with his bo staff, sparring with Mantis. Crane and Viper were fighting each other, using there skills against each other: flying for Crane, agility for Viper. Po was sparring with Tigress in the middle of the hall. "This time, your going down Tigress" said Po as he blocked a punch from Tigress. Po followed by sending a kick towards her stomach, which Tigress grabbed and flipped Po over her head to the floor. Po raised his hands out to stop him from hitting the floor. Po, then intertwined his feet around Tigress's hand and then spun in midair, making Tigress spin with him. As they both hit the floor, and got back up, Tigress charged for Po, as Po was getting into his Inner Peace stance. Tigress sent of a flurry of punches towards the Panda, but for Po, everything was in slow motion. He could see every single punch come towards him and block it. Eventually he grabbed both of her hands and delivered a swift kick to her stomach, sending Tigress into the wall.

Tigress, slowly got up and cracked her knuckles and her neck as she glared at the Panda.

"I told you, today, you are going down kitty-cat" Po knew she hated that name. Tigress turned an angry shade of red as she thought of all the ways to make him pay for that, but it would be pointless. While Po was in his inner peace stance, she couldn't lay a hit on him. Suddenly, Tigress had a smart idea."That's what you think!" Tigress got into her fighting stance, as did Po. The others decided to watch the outcome of this fight. As Tigress charged for Po, Po was ready to defend any attack, any attack whatsoever.

Tigress grabbed onto Po's arm

Was she going to punch kick him in the stomach?

She jumped up, while holding onto Po's arm

Was she going to kick him in the head?

Tigress swung her head towards Po's head

A headbutt. Po dodged it by moving his head to the left. Big mistake.

Tigress turned her head and softly planted another kiss on the Panda's cheek.

Po was ready for any attack, but not this. Po was dumbfounded as Tigress got down back on the ground in front of him. Po stared at her with wonder and amazement, as did the others. "...Wow" said an awe struck Panda, but it didn't last long. In his bedazzlement, Tigress grabbed his arm, jumped and this time, delivered a swift kick to his head, sending him to the ground. Tigress then grabbed his foot and spun him around the room, letting go and throwing him out of the hall and onto the stone floor. Tigress patted her hands, removing any dust and decided to see if Po was alright. The others were still in shock of what they had just seen. Mantis let out a very quiet "Ouch" before they all shrugged it off and went back to there training.

Po had managed to get himself sitting up straight when Tigress came up to him with a smile of victory on her face. "I told you I wasn't going down" said Tigress as she offered Po a hand up.

"That was so cheating" said Po jokingly, as he rubbed his cheek were he was kissed.

"Funny, I didn't hear any complaining at the time" said Tigress as she lowered her eye lids halfway, looking at Po. Po turned a bright, noticeable shade of red. Tigress could only laugh at this. Po laughed it off as well.

Eventually the laughter ended, and Po was rubbing the back of his neck, nervously. "H-hey Tigress"

"Yes Po?"

Tigress turned to Po facing him, Po couldn't help but stare at her beautiful yellow eyes. This didn't help his nerves. "erm...since were already outside, you wanna go grab something to eat?"

Tigress was about to answer, but Shifu interrupted "Maybe another time Po"

"Master Shifu" The two said in unison, slightly embarrassed.

Shifu let out a small chuckle as he continued to say "Tigress, I need you and Viper to go into the woods and stock up on these herbs." Shifu took a list out from his robe and handed it to Tigress, who nodded and left to fetch Viper.

"Po, come with me"

Po nodded and followed his master into the Jade Palace. Shifu walked up to the pool and looked up at the golden dragon above him. Shifu remembered the day that the Dragon scroll was given to Po. Shifu had since then always felt proud about his student. He was proud of all his students. "Po" said Shifu as he turned to face Po "You and I have both mastered Inner Peace, but now it is time for you to commence the next part of your training"

"Oh, cool, so what am I gonna learn? How to fire laser beams, or read minds or, or..."

Shifu quickly interrupted Po, as he knew this could go on for a while. "Po, the next phase of your training, is to achieve, Inner Strength. Something, that even I have not yet accomplished." Po was taken aback by this news.

"Whoa … so wait a second, if you haven't learned how to do it, how do I learn how to do it?"

"Truth be told, very few masters have ever managed to achieve Inner Strength"

"What is inner strength?"

"Inner Peace is when your mind is clear, focused, and as the name suggests, at peace. Inner Strength, is when you muster up all your energy and greatly increase your speed and strength"

"That's … super cool. How do I do it?"

"Po … I don't know … some say that it takes a lot of suffering, both physically and mentally before you can achieve it, but those who got close, suffered so much, they died"

"Uh...huh...and what do the others say?" 

"Oogway believed that to achieve inner strength, one must find a reason to fight, a reason to want such strength. A purpose"

"That's it? That's easy, to protect the valley and China" said Po as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Nice try, but it is not enough. Protecting the people is our job, and yes, while we have a place in our heart for all of them, our bond to them is not strong enough to achieve inner strength"

Po didn't know what to say, what bond could be strong enough to achieve such power? Po needed to think. Without a second thought, Po sat down and began to meditate in front of the pool, as did Shifu. It was quiet for about five minutes until …

_groooowl_

Po's stomach began to growl. Shifu let out a sigh of annoyance as Po put on a nervous smile. "Tigress may be busy, but I'm available for a meal" Po turned red at his masters statement. Po shrugged it off and got up and walked towards the exit with Shifu at his side.

**In the forest**

**20 minutes later**

Tigress and Viper were almost finished picking up the herbs that were on Shifu's list. It was a nice beautiful sunny day. The birds were signing, the air was fresh and the sky was clear. For Tigress this was a perfect day.

"So? Why'd you kiss Po?"

...Almost perfect

"C'mon, tell me, why you kissed him, again"

"Again? What do you mean again?"

"We all saw the black lipstick mark on Po's cheek after the celebration" Tigress gulped at the mere mention of what she had done, and to make matters worse, she had did it again.

"I … I needed a way to distract Po and what better way to do it" Tigress claimed as she regained her composure.

"Nice try Tigress, you like Po, admit it"

"Leave it be Viper"

"Deny it all you want Tigress, but you know it, I know it, and if you keep up what you're doing, Po will too"

Tigress stomped her foot and looked her friend in the eyes "Drop it, now!"

Any person would back down from this, but Tigress was Viper's oldest friend.

"Tigress...whats wrong? Tell me. Please" Viper took Tigress's hand in her tail. Tigress sighed, but it would be nice to get this of her chest.

"How could Po ever fall for someone like me?"

"This again? Tigress we've been over this."

"I know, but look at you, then look at me. When we grew up you always got the boys affection, all the gifts, all the love letters. I got nothing, never. I'm hideous" Tigress was barely able to finish of her statement when she felt a hard slap across her face. Tigress winced as she stroked her cheek and looked at the now angry snake.

"You listen to me Tigress. Yes, I may have gotten all those things, and yes I had many admirers, but that doesn't matter. They wanted me for my looks, nothing more. If Po was after you, and I'm sure he is, he wouldn't fall in love with you on how you looked, but your heart, your spirit, your personality. I'd kill to find a guy who would love me for who I am, and not what I look like" Tigress's anger began to subside as she listened more and more to the snakes words. "Besides, I wouldn't say you never got any love letters. Remember those letters from your secret admirer?" Tigress was surprised she remembered those letters, she was feeling a little flushed as soon as they were mentioned.

**15 Years Ago**

**The Jade Palace**

A thirteen year old Tigress was outside the Jade Palace doing push-ups while Viper was keeping count. Shifu was sitting on top of the Jade Palace, playing his flute, still haunted by the failure of Tai Lung, who was now imprisoned. Oogway had just entered the grounds from his daily walk around the valley. In his hand was a letter. Tigress and Viper stopped what they were doing and bowed to the grandmaster.

"Master Oogway" said the two in unison.

"Hello my children, my my, how strong you both have become, I remember when you were no taller than Shifu"

Shifu let out a grunt as he approached his master. He quickly gave the two girls a look that said 'get back to training, now'. The girls bowed respectfully to the two masters and began to walk away.

"Child" said the aging turtle "I found this on the steps on the way up here. I believe its for you." Oogway gave the letter to the young Tigress, who bowed once again and took off with her friend to the training hall.

"So, what does it say?" viper asked excitedly

"I haven't read it yet, give me a minute". As Tigress opened the letter and began to read it, her face turned ever so slightly red. Once she was finished, she placed the letter into the envelope it came in and put it in her pocket.

"So? What did it say?"

"I-It was a love letter" Viper was shocked. Tigress had never received any letters before, and her first one was a love letter? Amazing.

"Who was it from?"

"No idea, it has no return address or a name"

"Oooohhhh, Tigress has a secret admirer"

"What? I do not. I bet someone just did it for a joke"

It wasn't. The next year at the exact same day, Oogway found another letter, and the year after that, and the year after that and so on. Tigress was sure that if that was a joke, the joke had grown dull, but it was still sweet to receive such letters, confessing such love and admiration. One year, however, the letters stopped and Tigress, although she would never admit it, was a little crushed. To this day, Tigress still has those letters in her drawer, in the hope she could meet her secret admirer.

**Present Day**

**Woods**

Tigress snapped out of her memories when she heard loud footsteps approaching them. Instinct kicked in and she assumed her fighting position, as did Viper.

They waited

and waited

until a large black bear came walking towards them. He was tall and wearing a large gray coat.

"Oh, I am sorry ladies, I did not expect anyone to be in this forest. I did not mean to alarm you"

Tigress kept her stance, but Viper, being the friendly one, relaxed and approached the bear. "It's alright, we just don't usually see a lot of people here, is all"

"Haha, yes I would imagine so. So,what are you two ladies doing out here, all alone"

"Picking herbs, what about you, it doesn't seem as if your from here?" asked a curious Viper

"You are right, I am traveling to see a friend. I think I am almost there actually"

"Well, I hope you get there soon"

"As do I" Razputin, looked at the tiger, who had not once spoken or moved from her stance. "Hmm I see you study martial arts"

"Study martial arts? I'm a Master of martial arts" boasted Tigress

"Then perhaps you could humor a wondering bear. You see I am looking for the strongest warrior in the world, so that I might fight that warrior. Could you be the one to defeat me?" The bear cracked his knuckles as he kept his eyes focused on the tiger.

"I'm afraid, I'd might hurt you. Sides, I've already beaten another bear today."

"Hmhmhm. I guarantee you, that whatever fight this other bear put up, will be mere child's play compared to me" Tigress would not stand for anyone insulting her friends, especially Po.

"Fine, have it your way" Tigress lunged forth at the bear, slamming her fist directly into his chest. It was a direct hit, the thud could be heard across the whole forest, and yet the bear didn't even flinch. "Hmhmhm, that tickled" Raz grabbed the hand that hit him, along with the shoulder it was attached to and threw Tigress into one of the nearby trees. Tigress hit the tree with full force, causing her shoulder to dislocate ever so slightly. Tigress gritted her teeth at the pain she was in. Tigress grabbed her arm and jolted it back into place, letting out a loud roar in pain. Viper saw her friend in trouble and jumped at the mysterious bear, only to be welcomed by a backhand. Viper was sent flying into another tree where she was knocked out cold. Tigress looked over to her friend, now a lump on the ground.

"Your friend will be alright, little kitten, perhaps you should worry about yourself"

Tigress jumped up and kicked the bear right in the jaw. As she landed, she sent out a flurry of punches at the bears stomach. The bear did not retaliate, but this time he showed that he was in some pain, even though it was a little. Tigress, then raised her knee and dealt a swift blow to the bears stomach. The timing for this next move had to be perfect. As the bear leaned forward to react to his stomach being kneed, Tigress flipped backwards, kicking the bear in the face with her left foot, quickly followed with her right, then landed a good few feet away from her opponent. As Raz was holding onto his now damaged jaw, he left his throat exposed. Tigress unsheathed her claws and leapt towards the bear, aiming for his throat. Her claws were about one inch from his throat, when Razputin grabbed her by the wrist and slammed Tigress to the ground.

"Not bad, little kitten, not bad at all." The bear spat out some blood onto Tigress's face, who was now riving in pain. Raz had a good strong grip on Tigress's wrist, so tight in fact, she swore that her bones were beginning to break. Tigress tried to struggle, but the more she did, the more Raz tightened his grip, making it much, much worse. "You call that a punch? This is a punch"

Raz swung his free hand back and swiftly punched Tigress right in the stomach. The punch was strong, and was a direct hit. It was so powerful, that when contact was made, the leaves on the tree's surrounding them began to shake. Tigress spat out a little drop of blood. No one had ever hurt her this bad before, but before she could ever react, Raz sent another punched to her stomach.

And another

and another

and another.

Throughout the entire forest, you could feel the leaves tremble at each consecutive hit. You could hear the thud of the contact and the whimpers of the female tiger as blood began to pour from her mouth. Finally, Raz stopped punching her, and raised her up by her wrist. "And this, my dear, is what you call claws" Tigress was barely able to keep her eyes open as the bear unsheathed his claws in front of her face. Without a second to blink, he swung his hand back and almost immediately, dug his razor sharp claws into Tigress's stomach.

"!" Screamed Tigress, who was now in unimaginable pain. Raz let go of her wrist and let her dangle from his claws. "So, little kitten, who hurt who, hm?" Tigress answered his question, by spitting her blood onto his face. "Bad move" using the hand that Tigress was on, he threw her, head first into the nearby tree. Tigress slumped to the floor, in complete and utter agony. As the bear approached her, he could hear her whimper a name "P..Po...h..help..me"

"Po? Ah, I see, he is your lover. Right? Maybe I should go an pay him a visit, since you could not provide such a decent challenge" Tigress's eyes shot wide open. She didn't care if it killed her, she would not allow him anywhere near Po. Tigress very slowly got back on her feet, stumbled over to the bear, and punched him in the stomach. The bear didn't feel a thing, she was battered and weak, but her eyes showed determination, as if the bear had struck a nerve. "S-stay away from him, or I'll kill you" was all the tiger could muster up before Raz wrapped his hands around Tigress's whole head.

Raz picked up Tigress by her head and began to crush it. Tigress screamed in agony as she could feel her skull crack in multiple places. Tears were flowing from her eyes at the pain. Blood was pouring out of her ears, mouth and stomach wounds. Tigress kicked, screamed and clawed at the bear, but it did very little. Slowly but surely, Tigress began to stop moving, her world was turning black, she was losing consciousness. As soon as the screaming stopped, Raz released his grip and Tigress landed on her feet in front of him. Barely able to see, speak or move, Tigress could only stand there as the bear sent one final punch to Tigress, right between the eyes. Viper woke up to the sight and sound of her friends nose being broken, with blood flying everywhere. Tigress hit the floor with a loud thud as the bear wiped his claws clean on the blood.

"It seems, little kitten, you are not the one I am looking for. I have left my mark on you, so the whole world will know, that you have fallen to Razputin Alexandrov. Dasvidaniya." With that the bear got his bearings and walked away into the direction he was heading to before. Viper could only watch as he left. As soon as he was gone, Viper crawled over to her broken friend. The tears began to show in Vipers eyes. As each of them fell, one by one onto Tigress, Viper whimpered "...help us.

No one came

Viper began get louder as the tears came pouring down onto her friend"somebody, please help us"

still, no one came

Viper closed her eyes in anger and disbelief, and screamed towards the heavens "SOMEBODY HELP US!"

**A/N: Ouch, poor Tigress, so what do you think guys, my first fight scene, sorta. Leave some reviews, cause I like to read them. Okay about my timeline, correct me if im wrong, but Shen killed the Pandas 30 years ago, and Po was just a baby. Tai Lung said when he confronted Shifu, he was in jail for 20 years. So, if I do the math correctly, Po is currently either 30 or 31 years old and Tigress is somewhere between 25 and 30 aswell, meaning she was either adopted between age and 10. Feel free to correct me if im wrong. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and ill update asap. Laters**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So far, so good. Let's keep the ball rolling. Currently I will be keeping this story at T rating, because I watched a few movies like twilight (by that I meant I was tied up and dragged to see it) and saw half the stuff they got away with. Nevertheless, I'll always give a warning right here. Enjoy. Warning (told ya): This chapter contains mild language and mild violence and gore.**

**Chapter 5: Reunion**

**A few hours later. In the Jade Palace: Barracks**

Tigress was now finally lying in her bed, sedated and sound asleep. The damage that had been done to her had been great: a broken nose, a fractured wrist, linear skull fractures and a gash on her stomach, luckily, no vital organs were cut. The doctor did what he could: sewed up the gash, realign the nose and wrist, put a cast around both and wrapped her head in bandages. Viper had a bump on her head, but nothing serious. As the doctor, an elderly goat, left Tigress's room, he was met by Po, Shifu and the others.

"How is my daughter?" asked a concerned Shifu

"It was rough work, but she will make it." Everyone let out a sigh of relief "Tigress has always been a fast healer. Give her a month or so, and she will be as good as new. Mantis, when she wakes, it might be good for her to have some acupuncture" The little insect nodded to this, as they all walked the doctor out towards the door. Po and the four stayed behind as Shifu walked him down the stairs for a brief chat. Everyone could see the shock in Viper's eyes. Viper was a warrior, ready for death, or so she thought. Viper wasn't afraid to die, but now she knew, she was afraid that her friends could die if she failed.

"Viper...are you alright" asked Monkey, who noticed a tear rolling down his friends face. Viper too noticed this, and wiped the tear from her face.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Its just … I've never been so scared in my life."

"You did the best you could" said Mantis as tried to cheer his friend up. It didn't work.

"Your right I did, and I failed. My friend was dying and there was nothing I could do!" Viper was now, full out shouting at Mantis, who could do nothing but stand there and take it. Then there was a silence, and all that could be heard was the young snake weeping "I … I'm not strong enough."

As the snake began to cry, Crane pulled her in for a hug. Mantis felt guilty about what he said and just stared at the ground. One mysterious bear, had caused all this. He would pay, dearly. It was some time until Monkey noticed that Po was gone, and just as soon as he brought this up with the others, Po came out of the barracks with a backpack, ready to leave.

"Po, where are you going?" asked Monkey

"To find this guy and make him pay!"

"How will you find him? We don't know where he went!" Crane pointed out, who was still hugging Viper.

"The old fashion way: Look"

"But, Po..." Mantis intervened, but was cut of when Po turned around.

"Look what he did to Tigress and Viper. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not gonna let this guy get away with it. I'm going, and none of you can stop me"

With that, Po turned around and went towards the other set of stairs, so to not bump in to Shifu. The others were left standing there, dumbstruck. Shifu had just walked up the stairs, after seeing the doctor off. He noticed his students looking glum and guilty. "Now now, my students, Tigress will pull through, you heard the Doctor"

Everyone was silent, it was unnerving. Shifu expected it to be quiet, but not this quiet. Then he learned the reason why, Po was not there.

Po was a good way down the stairs, the condition of Tigress still running through his mind, making his blood boil, making him run faster. Suddenly as if out of nowhere, Shifu landed right in front of him. It was a total case of de ja vu. The last time this happened, Shifu was stopping Po from running, this time, he was stopping him from killing.

"And where do you think YOU are going?" Shifu demanded

"I'm going to find the guy who did all this and make him pay"

"You're just going to look for him, all over China? That is if he still is in China"

"I don't care where he is, he's mine" Po walked past Shifu, but didn't get far as Shifu walked in front of him once again.

"Po, he beat Tigress to an inch of her life, and you have never, not once beaten her. So, how do you plan on beating this bear when Tigress could not?"

Po just stood there, silent. What answer could be given to such a question? Had he really thought it through? Then an idea popped into the stunned Pandas head. "Inner Strength, I'll use Inner Strength to beat him"

"Oh? So you found something worth fighting for?"

"Revenge" At this, Shifu jumped and kicked Po onto his back. Shifu then stood on Po's stomach, pointing his staff at Po's face.

"Never fight for vengeance. We know two people who fought for revenge and have died, oh what were there names? Oh yes: Tai Lung and Shen"

Po's eyes shot wide open. Shifu was right. What was he thinking? Revenge had brought down many people in the past, and it was a path he did not want to follow.

Shifu jumped of Po and helped him up. As soon as he got up, Po lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry..." muttered Po.

"Po..." Shifu felt the Pandas torment. He also wanted to hunt down the one who did this, but knew if he did, he would not be able to live with himself, or be able to allow his students to call him 'Master'. Revenge is a path, that once you walk down, is near enough impossible to turn back on.

"...Master...what should I do?" asked Po whose head was still lowered.

Shifu thought about this for a minute, then a small smirk etched its way on the side of his face. "Be there for her Po, when Tigress wakes up, be there for her. One day we will find who did this and put him to justice. Not out of revenge, but to uphold the law, but for now, my daughter needs you."

Po raised his head and looked at his master with a blank expression. Had he heard him right? Was Shifu telling Po to …

"Erm, shouldn't you be there, or someone else?" asked a bumbling, nervous Po.

"Hmhmhmhm, no. I know that I have always been a master first and a father second. I know that Tigress cares for, and respects all the others, but she cares about you the most. I can see it Po. Tigress cares for you deeply" There was a brief pause as Shifu closed his eyes, and the smile on his face grew bigger "and I know, that you care for her too, deeply."

Po turned red at his masters statement. Po couldn't deny that he had feelings for Tigress, strong feelings. If Shifu knew just how strong, Po could be the receiver of a kick or two from one seriously pissed red panda. Po was still nervous, but nodded to his master.

As the two walked back up that stairs, all was silent. Until …

"Shifu?"

"Yes Po?"

"You're not a bad father"

Shifu stopped walking and looked Po directly in the eyes. Po returned the gesture, showing nothing but truth in his jade green eyes.

"Thank you Po ..."

"No problem" said Po with a big grin on his face. The two continued to walk up the stairs. Only one more thing was said between the two while walking up, but Po never heard it. Shifu muttered, to himself "...For everything"

The next couple of days felt strange to everyone since Tigress wasn't there. No-one to properly spar with Po. No-one to deliver sarcastic comments. It was weird not having Tigress around. Although Tigress didn't do much to add to the conversations or activities, everyone missed her. Po and Viper, during training, were pushing themselves to their limits. They wanted to become stronger, to protect their friends, and to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. When dinner was served, everyone ate in the kitchen, except for Po. He would take his dinner, and an extra serving to Tigress's room, just in case she woke up and was hungry. If it were up to Po, he would never leave her side. Although she was battered and bruised, she looked beautiful in her sleep. Po stared at her for hours on end, hoping that she would wake up. At night Shifu would check in, only to notice that Po had fallen asleep either leaning on the wall, or next to Tigress on the floor. Rather than blow a fuse at the two sharing a room, Shifu put a blanket over the Panda and left. Normally, students must sleep in their own rooms, but this was different. Shifu saw that ever since Po arrived, Tigress has been more happy and become more open with her emotions. The two were close, and he was not going to intervene with his daughters, and his students happiness.

Meanwhile, miles and miles away, in a large cave...

"Put your backs into it you dogs" Ordered Fang to the rest of the pack. They were making modifications, not to the cannons, but the cannonballs themselves. Another group was building something else entirely. It looked like a giant wooden spoon on wheels. The last group was making weapons for their new army. Bandits and mercenaries, from all over China, had joined their ranks. If Fang was right, their numbers had amassed to nearly five hundred. Shen and his guests conversed about their previous encounters. Though Shen doesn't seem the type to be sociable, he did have friends, albeit that they are psychotic.

"...and then I shot him with the cannon. Right across the city and into the ocean" said Shen, as he, Madame Du Croc, Razorbeak and Cobra left the main tent, with laughter surrounding them.

"Hahahaha, sounds like a _blast_" the eagle punned. As the group chuckled at this poor attempt at a joke, they all walked over to Fang for a progress check.

"Haha, ahem, how are things progressing Fang?" asked Shen as he regained his composure.

"Things are going well sir. We're working on the modifications that you made, and we are working tirelessly to complete your newest design."

"Good, good." Shen gazed at all his men, all his weapons, and his modifications. He let out an evil chuckle as he muttered to himself "Lets see you catch _these_, Panda."

Suddenly everyone stopped what they were doing.

THUD

Everyone could hear something coming from the entrance

THUD

Something BIG

THUD

Something LOUD

THUD

Shen knew who this was, and decided to take a few steps forward. Out of the darkness came a large, black bear: Razputin. Upon seeing the bear, everyone went silent. Shen felt nervous around this bear, simply because of the history they shared and the fact that Shens personal weapons, aside from his metal talons, had not yet been made. He had never felt so vulnerable in his life. However, Shen had to show dominance in front of his men, Shen was the leader after all. "Greetings my old fri -"

"Hello, puny, insignificant Peacock" said Razputin as he interrupted, the now furious Shen.

"Shen … My name is Shen, how many times must I tell you" Shen shouted at the large bear in front of him. With his one good eye, he glared at the peacock in front of him, and calmly reminded him "I only remember the names of those who are of importance to me"

The entire army gulped at the tension between the two. Shen was not a man you wanted to get angry, and from the looks of this bear, he could tear down half of this army without even trying.

"Your letter said you had the 'ultimate challenge' for me. Who is it?" Razputin asked as he glared at Shens army, making them all get back to work.

"The Dragon Warrior" answered Shen, coldly.

"He is the one who did this to you?" Razputin made a gesture to the birds burnt face. Shen turned away in disgrace. This was not something he wanted to be reminded of.

"Very well, I will fight this 'Dragon Warrior' for you"

"No no no, I don't need you to fight him, I need you to _kill_ him" shouted Shen

"I will only ever kill one man, you know that"

"Oh, believe me, this one is THE one. I guarantee it"

"If you say so, Peacock"

Shen let out a small sigh of annoyance, but let it slide. It was time to announce his plan to his men. True, he did send out another letter, but he was certain that this person would not turn up in the first place. A pity. Shen walked to the center of the cave and got everyone's attentions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming." Shen looked around the giant cave, at all the mercenaries, thugs and bandits that had joined his army. "I look at you all, and I see pain. I look at you all and I see ambition, I see grief, I see the urge to prove yourselves to the world. The law, has not been kind to us. Shunning us, hunting us, killing our friends and brothers" Fang, and a few other members of the army closed their eyes in remembrance of the ones they lost "Even, I, have suffered by the hands of those who impose justice. Well, I say no more. No more will we hide from the law. No more will we hide in the shadows. We are going to bring China to its knee's and then take it for ourselves!" The crowd cheered as a few wolves brought out a giant, plush panda figure, made out of sacks filled with hay. "And, if anyone," Shen grabbed a nearby torch "say a certain, Panda, or his friends, stand in our way … WE END THEM!" As Shen set fire to the Panda doll, the crowd cheered even louder and began to chant "death to the Panda." Nearly everyone in this cave had been beaten or stopped by the dragon warrior. Everyone had a score to settle, and Shen was just adding fuel to the fire. As the crowd began to simmer down, Shen went on to describe his plan "Now, in 2 months, we march towards our destination and we send in Razorbeak and his men to ..."

As Shen went on about his plan, outside the cave, two guards could faintly hear what Shen was saying. Then, as if out of nowhere, the two could hear someone playing a flute. It was a beautiful melody, almost enchanting. As the two guards were in a small trance state, the music suddenly stopped and all that could be heard was …

_thwip_

and

_thwip_

as two darts flew and hit the wolves directly in the chest. Without a second to react, the two collapsed onto the ground and began frothing at the mouth. Within one minute, the two were dead. Out of the darkness came the flute player, who waled by the two corpses, right into the cave. By now Shen was coming to the conclusion of his plan.

"...and once they are dead, we begin our takeover on China!" The crowd cheered for their leader. The plan was genius, full proof. A few of the wolves even whistled at Shen. Shens ego was inflating, fast. Above all, Shen loved praise. To further goad them on, Shen bowed to them, as if it was a stage performance "Thank you, thank y-"

The faint sound of a flute could be heard near the caves entrance. As everyone began to hear it, they all drew their weapons in anticipation. Out of the darkness came a small, cloaked figure, roughly the same height as Shen. As the figure walked on towards Shen, the music, never stopped. The entire army thought that this figure, whoever it was, must be a pushover. Everyone had a smug grin on their faces.

Except for Shen.

Shens eyes were as wide as dinner plates. He recognized that tune, almost immediately. He had not heard it in five years, but he could never forget it. As the cloaked flute player got closer towards Shen, the nervous, if ever so slightly scared Peacock, turned his face to the side, so that the figure could only see the good side of his face. As the cloaked figure walked past the bear, the crocodile, the eagle and the snake, the figure stopped about one inch from Shen. As soon as they were close, the music stopped. The cave was silent for about a minute. The army still had the smug look on their face, while Shen had a look of utter terror on his. Nervously, making sure not to show his burnt face, he glanced at the cloaked figure. "Greet-" Shen was immediately cut of by the cloaked figure slapping him in the face. As Shen turned his back on the figure, rubbing his face. The whole army was utterly shocked. Whoever this person was had a death wish. Shen, still nervous, regained his composure and said two words, softly and smoothly, but still showing his nervousness "Hello, Wello"

Fang gulped at the mere mention of the name, now that he and the rest of the remaining wolves knew who this was, fear overtook them. The rest of the army had no idea what was going on. Then something happened that shocked them. The figure spoke, and to everyone's surprise.

The voice, belonged to a woman.

"You invited me here, miles and miles away from my home, after not hearing from you for five years. Walking halfway across the world to come see you, and you wont even look me directly in the eyes? I should kill you were you stand, Shen"

This voice was strong, confident, intelligent but at the same time, feminine, attractive and beautiful. The figure then lowered the hood of her cloak and revealed herself to be a Tundra Swan.

"You really haven't changed at all, you ungrateful bastard. Always thinking yourself superior, so much that you wont even look your own guests face to face"

As the swan ranted on, she took of her cloak to reveal what she was wearing. Wello wore a robe, much similar to Shen, except this robe was purple with a darker purple laced all around it. Around her waist was a satchel that kept much of her accessories. In her hand was a flute, which also acted as a blowgun, and an umbrella in the other hand. Being a Tundra Swan, her beak was black, but it suited her. Her eyes were light blue and her feathers glistened in the light. This swan was beautiful. A perfect creature, who had just slapped and mocked one of the most dangerous men in all of China. If it were any other person, Shen would've killed them by now, but this was no ordinary person. She wanted to see his face. Fine.

"You really want to see my face, Wello? Well, here I it is"

"Oh … my … god" As Shen turned to face the swan, Wello became more and more shocked at what she saw: burn marks, permanent burn marks, on one side of his face. It looked painful, and Wello couldn't help but feel guilty over what she had just done.

"What, the hell, happened to you?" said Wello as she walked closer to Shen and carefully, slowly stroked the burn marks on his face with her wing. Shen closed his eyes as her soft wing touched his ruined face. It was a soft, gentle touch. A touch that he had not felt for so long. No one had touched his wound ever since he got it, aside from Tao, but he didn't count. Wello's wing felt warm, soothing, inviting. Shen couldnt help but let out a few heavy breaths, followed by a few quiet moans. Wello was angry at Shen, for many reasons, but she couldnt help but feel sorry for the poor bird. He was scarred, both physically and mentally, she wanted to help. All she could think of at that moment, was stroking the mark, try to sooth the pain, relax the bird. Suddenly, Shen eyes shot wide open as he noticed that everyone was now staring at the two of them. Although he hated to break the swan from her trance, he would not be the topic of idle gossip. "What are you all looking at? GET BACK TO WORK! You know what to do" Shen shouted at all the staring eyes, and without a seconds hesitation, they all resumed what they were doing.

"Still ruling with an iron fist I see" said Wello as she backed away from Shen "Why did you send for me Shen? Oh, I almost forgot" Wello reached into her satchel and pulled out a dead rotting crow, and dumped it onto the floor. "I believe, this is yours"

Shen looked down at his dead messenger, then scoffed. He expected Wello to do something like this, he knew he had sent the poor bird to his death. Shen didn't care, the crow was stealing food anyway.

"May I have a word with you, my dear? Alone" He shot a look to the other four animals around them. They all nodded, except for Razputin, he didn't really care either way. As they all walked away, continuing their talk about the past, Shen and Wello went into the main tent.

"I see your living quarters haven't changed much since we last met" said Wello, in a mocking way, slightly.

"Yes … yes … You know why you are here" said Shen fast and sharply

"No I don't" replied Wello, fast on the defense.

"Yes you do"

"No I do not"

"I wrote it in your letter"

"Oh? The part that says 'I need your help', is that what you mean?"

"Yes"

"Help, with, what?" Wello prodded Shens chest with her umbrella on each word.

"I need your help to conquer China" Out of nowhere, the tent was filled with laughter. Wello was in hysterics over what Shen had just said. "Whats so funny?" asked a slightly frustrated Then, as quick as a flash, Wello pulled on the hilt of her umbrella, revealing a long, thin, hidden sword, that she quickly pointed to Shen throat. The laughter stopped. The tent was silent. Shens wide eyes could only stare at the swans angry blue eyes. Her eyes were filled with anger, pain and sorrow.

"Funny, the last time I offered to help you conquer China, you told me to leave. Well guess what Shen, I AM leaving, goodbye" As Wello turned around, she placed her sword back into her umbrella and started to walk away. Shen just stood there, not sure of what to say.

"Wello, I don't need your help to 'conquer China'..." Wello stopped a few feet from the exit. Shen was well known to be malicious, cruel, evil, despised and loathed, but Wello knew him differently. Even though the two were alone, it was still hard to say. "... I just … I … I need you … please"

Wello turned around to face him, as she did this, Shen lowered his face, he was not use to this, not use to speaking his emotions, besides anger. Wello put down her umbrella, leaning it against the wall, and walked over to Shen. "Why?" asked the curious Swan.

"... Everyone looks at me and see's a … freak" Shen made a small gesture to the burnt side of his face. "Everyone … except you." Wello could feel a lump in her throat, was he saying what she thought he was saying.

"I … I missed you Wello"

Wello just stood there. Eventually she turned and walked away, picking up her umbrella "I'll find my own tent." Shen felt slightly relieved that Wello was staying, but before she exited the tent, without turning to face him "Shen … I hate you for what you did ..." This was a giant blow to the Peacocks heart, although, he knew he deserved it. "But … I missed you too" and with that, she left the tent. Shen was left by himself in his tent, with countless thoughts running through his mind,most of them was guilt. As Wello walked on, a small tear was falling down the side of her face as she looked for a place to set up a tent.

Was this such a good idea? War was coming and he had invited her. A major distraction. It was to late now. Shen wanted her to be here. He had his minions, his, for lack of better words, friends, but no one really understood her, except her. Shen took one step forward, only to be welcomed by the clang noise that his metal talons made. Everything in this tent reminded Shen of Wello, the carpet, the table, even the metal talons, everything.

Fang slowly peered his head into the tent, to give Shen, some good news. "Lady Wello seems to be doing fine, my Lord"

Shen let out a small sigh of annoyance "What do you want, don't you have work to do?"

"Yes, Lord Shen, but I came here to give you these" The wolf held up a rolled up piece of cloth, which he then put down onto the main table. He unrolled it, and on the cloth, were countless new knives, all made, exactly the same way. Shens mood picked up quite a bit as he picked up one of the knives and examined it. The knives looked like feathers, perfect for blending it. Sharp and to the point. Shen threw one of the knives at the post holding up the tent, it was swift and could do damage. Shen let out a small chuckle as a smirk found itself on his face.

"Good, very good. Anything else"

"Yes Lord Shen, here is your new lance, all the modifications have been added to it"

Shen held his new lance, and began to practice his art of Cai Li Fo. It looked exactly the same, the blade had the wavy design. The cane part of the land, was hollow, and bulky, but that was to be expected, due to the modifications that had been done. Shen decided to test out his newest creation. Shen pressed a secret button on the cane, and swung his lance forward, then as if from out of nowhere, there blade latched itself of the cane and flew towards the support pole, piercing right through it. Connected to the blade was a long rope, which went all the way back into the cane, still in Shens hand. Shen, then released the button, and the chain retracted, bringing the blade back to him. "Perfect"

"Uh...sir"

"What"

All of a sudden, Shen heard a loud crack as the support pole split in two and the tent collapsed on itself. The whole army, including Shens guests, except Wello. all started laughing when Shen and Fang crawled out from underneath the tent. Shen turned an angry shade of red.

"Fang, how long can this reach"

"About fifty feet sir"

"Good"

Shen, once again pressed down on the button, and thrust his lance, sending the blade rocketing towards one of his wolves who was laughing at him. As soon as the blade made impact, everyone stopped laughing when they heard the loud crunch, as metal drove through bone. Shens blade had drove itself through the skull of an unsuspecting wolf, right between the eyes. On the tip of the blade, blood was oozing to the floor and you could see a small part of the wolfs brain. As Shen retracted the blade, blood poured out, like a fountain from the wolfs head, as he fell to the floor.

"Anyone else find that funny? HUH?" Shen demanded. Everyone is the cave couldn't take their eyes of the corpse. No one dared to say a word. Shen could kill, and now he could kill at a distance. "GOOD! Now, for the last time, GET BACK TO WORK!" Shen ordered. As everyone got back to work, a few of the wolves started to repair Shens tent. Wello stared at the peacock as he tried to calm himself down. Shen had a smug look on his face as everyone feared him, until he saw those eyes, Wellos eyes. The look of disappointment, the same looks his parent gave him, nearly 30 years ago. Shen, then realized that what he had down was out of line and foolish, the look on his face was apologetic but the words could not come out. As Shen reached out, to try and say something to her, Wello had already turned away and resumed to look for a tent space. As she turned, she shook her head and closed her eyes in shame.

As one set of eyes closed, miles and miles away, another pair was slowly opening.

Tigress, slowly opened her eyes, blinded slightly by the lit candle in her room. Slowly, everything came rushing back to her: the forest, the talk with viper and then the bear, the bear that nearly …

Tigress shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Slowly, she sat up, which in itself, was a struggle. The scars on Tigress's stomach hurt like hell, and her head was throbbing. Tigress looked around to find out what she could. Outside the window was a full moon: It was night. It wouldn't take a genius to see that she was in her room. The room was slightly dusty, so, she had been out of it for a few days maybe. Then there was Po sitting beside her that – wait what?

Sitting beside Tigress's bed was Po, sound asleep, with a blanket around him. Tigress was confused. Why was he here? Why wasn't he in his own room? In a weak voice, although she tried to speak louder, she spoke.

"Po...Po...wake up"

Slowly the Pandas eyes opened and looked around the room. When he saw that Tigress was up, he immediately woke up and went to her side. "Tigress, you're awake. Thank god. Are you alright? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Do you -"

"Po, Po, Po. I'm fine, and no, I don't need anything, thank you." Interrupted Tigress, knowing that the questions could go on forever. Po sat down back on his seat, but pulled the seat closer to Tigress's bed. "Po...why are you here?"

Po was slightly hurt by this question, and it showed. "No, no, wait, I didn't mean -"

"No, its alright, I know what you mean" Said Po as he put on one of his cheesy grins. The smile then turned into a face of concern, as Po said comfortingly "I … I was worried about you, Tigress. I just wanted to make sure you were okay" said Po as he put his paw onto hers. Tigress stared at the Panda, she looked him directly in the eyes. They were tired, he had been here probably every day, staying up, just to make sure she was alright. Tigress could feel a twinge in her heart. Po cared for her that much? Wow.

"Hey listen, If you're hungry I can go and -" Po was cut of by two arms wrapping themselves around his waist. Tigress, while sitting in her bed, latched onto Po, her face buried into his chest, as she started to cry.

"Po … I thought … he was going to kill me"

Po slowly put his arms around Tigress as he shifted his body from the seat to her bed. Tigress moved her head, and then rested it onto Po's shoulder. Po held onto her tight, and did not let go. "I thought … I thought …" Tigress tried to say something, but it wouldn't come out. Po, using one of his hands, stroked the back of her head, trying to sooth her. As Tigress kept crying, she felt something wet hit her shoulder, she quickly glanced at what it was. Po was crying to. "Tigress...?" said Po, softly, almost as a whisper.

"Yes Po?" replied Tigress, on the exact same way

"I missed you"

Po hugged Tigress tighter.

"...I missed you too"

Tigress returned the gesture.

After what seemed like hours, Po decided it was time that Tigress got some rest. Po, reluctantly, broke the hug and made way to the door. Tigress knew that she needed to rest, but was still in shock, and for the first time, ever, she was scared.

"Po..."

"Yes Tigress?"

"... Don t go … please … stay ... I don't want to be alone"

Po, looked over to his room, then looked over back to Tigress. He could see that she was scared, he didn't want to leave her, but if Shifu walked in and saw them, Po would be the next one to be hospitalized. Po was afraid of the outcome, but he was not going to let any of his friends down, especially Tigress. Po closed the door, and walked over to Tigress.

Tigress curled up into the fetal position, facing the window, as Po got in the bed behind her and wrapped his left arm over her. Po's fur was soft and warm, cuddly to. Tigress could feel Po's muzzle on her neck, as they both got comfortable for the night. Tigress's tail rested itself on Po's stomach. Po, then pulled Tigress in closer, for one final hug. Po, gently and carefully kissed Tigress on the cheek and whispered into her ear. "Goodnight Tigress"

Tigress, turned her head to face Po and returned the kiss on the cheek. The sad look on her face was gone, as a small smile of happiness was seen. "Goodnight Po".

As the two masters rested their heads onto the pillows, Tigress began to purr in her sleep. Po let a small smile find its way on his face. It was cute. Po nuzzled closer to Tigress, looking out the window, looking at the full moon. As Po began to fall asleep, a few thoughts ran through his mind.

Po was happy that Tigress had came back to him.

He knew she was safe.

But...

No matter what

He would never forgive the one who did this

And if he ever met the guy

He would fight him...

and kill him.

**A/N: Ta-dah, did you enjoy it? Review and let me know. What do you think of Wello? Do tell, do tell. The pieces are falling into place. Getting excited? I know I am. Ill update, as soon as possible, L8ers. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I've been busy, but I guarantee, this is worth the wait. The music that Lady Wello plays on her flute is the tune "Chinese Twilight by Klaus Schonning", check it out on YouTube, it's really good. It sets the mood. Enjoy. Warning, contains mild language, gore and mild sexual intentions. Oh my.**

**Chapter 6: History**

Nearly ten weeks have passed since Tigress woke up, and things were getting back to normal. The Valley was quiet and peaceful, Tigress's wounds had completely healed, Po had become much stronger and skilled, and the two had become very close. Life was good. However, Shens army, during the ten weeks, had grown, immensely. All of the new weapons had been constructed, and the modifications had been made. Their numbers now reached a good one thousand. Shen and his generals readied themselves, for tomorrow, they march towards victory. As the army had one last night of drinking and brawling before the war, the Valley of Peace was quiet, unsuspecting of the danger that was to come.

Even though the Valley was quiet, underneath the quietness was lying an urge to party. Some of the villagers were putting up decorations in anticipation of the upcoming festival: The festival of the Dragon and The Phoenix.

This happened once a year, celebrating an ancient legend, that long ago, when the Dragon and the Phoenix, known as Fenghuang,met during one of their flights, that they instantly fell in love and bonded for eternity. Symbolizing the Yin and Yang. Ever since, once a year, people celebrate this by going to the festival, with the one they love. Tokens of affection would be given, and hopefully received, such as cards, flowers, anything affectionate.

Everyone was getting anxious over the upcoming festival, even though it was still two weeks away, but as the old saying goes, love was in the air.

The Valley was practically buzzing, and the Jade Palace was no exception.

Nearly every female in the Valley, and almost China, admired and adored the Kung Fu Masters living there, and with the defeat of Shen roughly three months ago, it only made them yearn for them even more.

"Mail call!" Shouted Crane as he brought in the mail for the palace. Immediately, all the residents of the palace, except Tigress, came storming towards Crane. They loved receiving mail except Tigress, who never received any.

"Here you go Viper" Crane said as he handed out a few letters to snake.

"Cool, a letter from my parents … hehe, and a few love letters." said Viper with a smirk on her face. Everyone knew that she would receive some admirers this year. It seemed that she got more and more admirers as the years went by.

"Here you go Monkey"

"Hohoho, a few from the Valley and a few from home, this monkey is ready to strut."

As the others laughed at Monkey showing of his looks, Crane put his letters on the table and proceeded to give Mantis his.

"Here you go, lover boy." Mocked Crane as he handed the small insect two letters.

"Seriously? Just two? Aw, man. That bites." moaned Mantis as he began to sulk.

"Here you go Po" said Crane as he handed Po one letter. Po was flattered that he received any love letters at all. Mantis felt a little bit better.

"Haha, I still got more than you, Po"

As soon as that was said, Crane pulled out a huge sack from behind the door, filled to the brim with love letters, all addressed to Po. Mantis's jaw hit the floor.

"That SO unfair!" whined Mantis as he began to sulk once again. Everyone went of to their own rooms to read their mail. Po went through countless letters. Some were poems, some were proposals, and some were suggestive pictures, which made Po blush.

However, as he continued to read on, he became more and more sad. He noticed that at the start of every letter was the same greeting: Dear Dragon Warrior, be mine Dragon Warrior.

I long for you Dragon Warrior.

Dragon Warrior...

Dragon Warrior, Dragon Warrior and so on and on and on.

Po was flattered that so many people wanted his affection, but, they really didn't want his affection, they wanted his title. Never before had Po received a single love letter or any tokens of affection. Be it that he was to clumsy, stupid or fat, for some reason, no one loved Po the Panda. However, now he had the title of Dragon Warrior, Savior of China, everyone loved him. Po wanted someone to love him for who he was and not his title. This thought made Po really sad, and slightly lonely. Who could ever love him, for him?

Tigress was walking to her room, when she noticed Po through the slight gap between the door and the wall. She saw that Po looked rather sad, and Tigress hated to see someone she cared about so much look like that.

"Po, are you alright?" asked Tigress as she gently knocked on the door and opened it. Po wiped his eyes and tried to 'man himself up'.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh, thinking is all" said Po as he scratched the back of his head

"About?" asked a curious Tigress

"Heh … the fans" said Po as he held on one of the hundreds of love letters.

"Wow, aren't you Mr. Popular" scoffed Tigress, who was also slightly jealous. Not at the fact of she didn't receive any letters, but the fact that people were interested in Po.

"Ugh, none of them really interest me. I really wanna go to the festival too. I just don't wanna go alone and look like a loser"

Tigress placed a paw on Po's shoulder and looked at him with a sweet smile.

"Y'know, some girls prefer the losers."

Tigress sent him a small wink as she walked away over to her room. Before Tigress had left however, Po stopped her by asking "Hey, Tigress, did you, uh, ever get any love letters?"

Tigress turned a bright shade of red, not noticeable due to her fur. Tigress turned to face Po, cleared her throat and answered the Pandas question.

"Yes actually, I got some letters from a secret admirer some years ago, I still have them in my room. I never met the guy, but - "

Tigress was about to continue, when she noticed that Po was laughing. Po, her closest friend, was laughing at what she said. Tigress felt her blood boil and her hands turn into fists.

"You think that's funny?" asked a very pissed Tigress

"What? No, no, no I just -"

"You think that I couldn't get any tokens of affection, is that it? That I'm some ugly woman who has no heart, screw you, you bastard"

Tigress stormed off into her room and slammed the door shut. How could Po laugh at her for being unpopular with men. Her closest friend just laughed at her. She was a fool to trust him and fool to trust anyone. Tigress silently made a vow to herself. "I'll never trust aga-"

"I wasn't laughing at you" said Po sheepishly outside Tigress's door. "I was laughing, because after all this time, you still have those letters … I sent you"

Tigress, slowly opened her door, with a stunned look on her face. Po was the one who had sent her all those letters. Po was the guy she had wanted to meet all these years.

"You … you sent me those letters." asked a stunned Tigress

"Kinda. You see, I wrote the letter, but when I got halfway up the stairs I got to nervous and scared. I … I thought you might have laughed at me. So, I scored out my name and wrote 'secret admirer' instead. I left it on the stairs and waited for Oogway or someone to pick it up and give it to you"

Tigress stared at Po's jade green eyes as he explained the whole situation. At every word, her heartbeat got faster and her eyes widened at the truth.

"I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing because I was happy. I thought you never got those letters. So I stopped writing them." Po rubbed the back of his neck nervously, as Tigress kept staring at him.

"Tigress? You okay?"

As the two gazed at each other, a smile slowly found its way onto Tigress's face. Slowly, her hand reached out and took Po's hand. Po was generally nervous, but was happy that Tigress was now happy. Po smiled back to the tiger holding his hand. The two looked into each others eyes with amazement. Never before had they seen anything of such beauty. With the festival coming in two weeks, it was time to do something.

"Po..."

"Yes, Tigress?"

"...Come to the festival with me. We can show the world that we're not total losers" said Tigress as her smile turned into a smirk.

Po was now the one to be stunned. Tigress, one way or another, had just asked him out on a date, on the most romantic night of the year. He knew that if he said yes, and they went, he would never hear the end of it from Monkey, Crane and Mantis.

...especially Mantis.

But when Po looked into those beautiful yellow eyes, all those worries washed away, and he felt relaxed. How could he say no?

"Sure, but Tigress, keep in mind that you owe me a dance from last time."

Tigress blushed at the point that Po brought up. She had hoped that he had forgotten that. Tigress wasn't the best dancer, but to just be close to Po on such a night. How could she say no?

"It's a date" said Tigress, as she leaned up and kissed Po on the cheek. Leaving the Panda dumbfounded, Tigress walked back into her room, amazed at the news she had received. Po was the one, all her life, she didn't know it, but now she does. Po loved her for her, and he has these feelings for years.

Tigress, lay down on her bed and drifted into her thoughts. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her mind was spinning with thoughts, and in the room across the hall, was the Panda she loved.

Yes, Tigress knew it. She loved Po. He was funny, sweet, strong, a master of kung fu, comforting. Tigress could go on and on about his good qualities. Recently, Tigress had been mulling over the idea of being in love with Po, but the news that Po was the secret admirer all those years ago, simply proved how much he cared. That was enough to seal the deal. She didn't care what anyone would say. When the festival came, and the night was theres. Tigress would tell Po how she felt.

Meanwhile, at the great cave.

Shens army were having one last party before the battle ahead of them. Nearly everyone was drunk, some were passed out on the floor. Razputin was challenging everyone to arm wrestling. So far, he hasn't lost. A giant banquet could be seen as far as the eye could see. Shen had rewarded everyone for joining him, he went all out to honor his men. The food was good and the alcohol was strong.

Everyone was celebrating.

Everyone, except for Shen and Wello.

Shen stood up on the high ground, near the tents, overlooking his army. He couldn't help but feel proud at his accomplishment. He had been beaten, but in a mere three months he has gotten back on his feet.

Wello was in her tent, grooming herself, making sure she looked pretty for the day to come, after all she was a Lady. Wello was wearing a light blue night gown as she was getting ready to go to sleep. As she was looking in the mirror, she noticed Shen coming into her tent.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" mocked Wello.

"That's a bit hard to do on a tent, isn't it?"

The two let out a small chuckle at this, but Wello was still angry with Shen, despite it being ten weeks since their reunion.

"What do you want Shen?"

"I've come to ask a favor of you"

"What is it?"

Shen was nervous to ask, but since this might be the last chance to do it, he had no choice.

"I would like you to play your flute for me, please"

Wello turned around to face Shen. He looked troubled, and despite being angry at the Peacock, Wello did have a soft spot for him.

"Shen, whats wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. It's just that, I can't relax and I remember how your music use to sooth my soul"

Shen lowered his head slightly, but Wello walked over to him and raised his head so they could meet eye to eye. Wello had a compassionate smile on her face. Shen was always ill tempered and anxious, but music, her music always soothed him. Wello took Shens hand, and led him towards a seat. He sat down as Wello walked over to pick up her flute, and started to play.

**A/N: Now might be a good time to YouTube the song I mention before**

As the music started, all the noise outside began to fade out for Shen as he focused directly on the soothing music filling the room. As Wello continued to play, Shen felt his whole body relax and melt into the seat he was sitting on. His mind drifted of to the past, when things were simpler, easier and he was happy.

Wello closed her eyes and turned her back to Shen, concentrating on her music. She knew that he was enjoying it. She was playing the song that she had personally wrote for Shen.

As time went on, and the song was nearing it's end. Shen got up from his seat and quietly walked over to Wello, who still had her eyes closed. Shen approached her from behind, leaned forward, pressed his beak against her neck and began to kiss it. Wello could feel Shens warm breath on her neck, and she stopped playing. As Shen continued to caress her neck with his lips, he began to nibble on her neck and began to form a small love bite underneath her feathers. Wello dropped the flute as her eyes went to the back of her head in pleasure. Wello let out a few soft moans, which made Shen nibble on her neck more, rubbing his tongue on her skin. Wello could hear Shen breathing get heavier. The entranced swan used her hand closest to Shen, to reach behind her and stroke his face. Shen felt the swans soft feathers caress the scarred side of his face. The touch felt so soft and smooth, it relaxed him greatly. Just as Shen was about to further his necking, Wello turned around and punched Shen right between the eyes, knocking him to the floor. Shen was disoriented, but when his vision came to, he was welcomed to Wellos hidden sword, not even an inch away from his face.

"You think, that after five years, after what you did to me, you could get away with that?" asked a very pissed off swan.

"I'm sorry … I … I just missed you." replied a very nervous, scared Shen.

Wello let out a hysterical laugh as the sword in her hand began to shake. After some time, she steeled herself and glared at the Peacock on the floor.

"You don't get it do you? I missed you too, that's the only reason I came. I traveled half the world to see you, but I can't forgive you for what you did, how could I? You discarded me, told me to leave and never return. And now you call me back. Why Shen? Why?"

Shen felt the tears from Wello's eyes land on him. He hated to see her cry, but it was true. What he did was inexcusable, he had his reasons, but there wasn't one day that went by that he wish he didn't do what he did. As he figured out the words to answer Wello's question, his mind went back to that time, the time when the two first met.

**10 Years Ago**

**Somewhere in Europe**

Shen was 35 years old, his exile had lasted a good 20 years and he had seen most of the world. He had learned many languages, tasted many foreign delicacies and felt the touch of many women, usually prostitutes. Shen was incredibly handsome, he wore a robe, much like the one he wears now. Accompanying him were a good number of wolves and Dr. Tao. Shen traveled the world, in hopes of finding a way to utilize his plan for revenge, and also to widen his mind to the world. Living in Gongmen was luxurious, but Shen had seen nearly everything there. Over the years, Shen has seen wondrous things, met the wisest men and women, and learned the art of Cai Li Fo.

The group had just left a small village, somewhere in Europe. Shen walked in front of the pack with his right hand man, the Wolf Boss. The rest of the wolves walked behind them, towing a caravan of metal, food, tents and many other supplies, most importantly, Shens plans.

They walked about five miles, until another caravan walked by them. They all seemed to be women, but it was hard to tell as they all wore robes and carried umbrellas.

Shen and his pack, didn't give them a second notice, until one of the women started to play her flute. Shen had not heard flute music in a long time, it reminded him of home, which made him both sad and angry. Surprisingly though, the music was so good that it subsided the anger. Shen ordered his caravan to stop as he called out to the passing caravan.

"You there. Flute player, stop for a minute" said Shen. The other caravan stopped at the Peacocks request. Shen was about to walk over to them, when he felt the Wolf Boss hold him back by the shoulder.

"Sir, be careful, I think these women are gypsies" whispered the Wolf Boss

"Gypsies?" questioned Shen

"Thieves, sir"

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind" said Shen as he shrugged of the wolfs hand and proceeded to walk over to the gypsies. "Good day ladies"

Without removing their hoods, the ladies replied "Good day, my lord"

"Might you ladies do me a small request?"

"And what would that be, my Lord" asked one of the gypsies

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind entertaining my troops with your music. We can use some entertainment, and I will pay you well"

The hooded figures huddled against each other for a moment, to discuss this deal. After some thought, the ladies agreed. The wolves set up camp and prepared for a delightful show. The two caravans were placed side by side, as a fire was set up. As the wolves sat around the fire, the gypsies started to play their lively music. By now the gypsies had taken of their robes and revealed who they were. One women caught the eye of every wolf in the pack, it was a fox, a dancer, who danced for her hosts, much to the wolves delight.

However, Shen was fixated on one person. The flute player, who as it turned out, was a Swan. A beautiful, elegant, graceful swan, who played the flute just as beautifully. Amongst all the other instruments however, Shen could barely hear her. Shen needed to hear her play, it's what he wanted in the first place. He walked up to the Swan, who bowed to the Peacock.

"Would it be alright if you were to play your instrument for me, privately?" whispered Shen to the swan. After a moments thought, the swan nodded and they both walked into Shens tent.

His tent was a lot like what it was today, just a tad more tidier. Shen sat on the chair at the table in the center of the room, as the swan began to play her flute. Almost instantly, Shen was entranced by the melody of the music. It made all his worries and heart ache vanish, and for the first time, in a long time, he thought about all the things he missed about home. His mother, his father, the sarcastic nanny. He hated them all for what they did to him, but a small part of him, missed them all dearly. He wanted to go home, he missed them all very, very much.

As the music stopped, Shen snapped back to reality as he felt a small tear escape his eye.

"Are you alright, my Lord?" asked the swan

"Y-yes, I'm fine, just nostalgic. Thank you, my dear. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Wello, my Lord. My name is Wello"

Shen smiled at the swan, who had done him a great service. "Thank you Wello, thank you very much."

As the night went on, both the wolves and the gypsies fell asleep, at least, they pretended to be asleep. As soon as all the wolves dozed of, all the gypsies got up and quietly made their way over to Shens caravan. They rummaged through all his junk, stealing anything they could find of value. As soon as their caravan was packed and ready to go, they found themselves surrounded by all the wolves pointing spears at them. Shen walked over to the gypsies, face to face, slightly smug that he had caught them.

"You think me a fool? I knew you would try to steal from me. I just wanted some entertainment before we kill you. A pity. I did enjoy that little treat." Shen gave a nod of approval to the Wolf Boss, as a signal to finish them of.

"Wait!" cried out one of the women

"Who dares tell me to wait?" asked a very angry Shen

Wello stood up amongst her friends and faced the Peacock face to face "I do"

"You have a lot of nerve, thief. Tell me what you want"

"Spare my friends … and I will forever be in your servitude" answered Wello as she gave her friends, one final look. Wello would rather be a slave for the rest of her life, than watch her friends, who were almost like family, die.

"What use would you be to me?" asked a curios Shen.

Wello turned back to face Shen, as she raised her chest slightly, showing of her figure, trying her best to persuade him. "What would you have of me, my Lord"

Shen turned slightly red. He didn't expect this, although he had sex before, he never expected such a sneaky trick. However it worked, and the gypsies were set free. Wello, took her things from her caravan, and now traveled with Shen and his crew.

For the first couple of weeks, things were shaky. Upon further inspection of her stuff, Shen and the wolves found out about her hidden sword in her umbrella, her multiple darts in her satchel and her blowgun, which was also her flute. They didn't just enslave a musician, they enslaved a killer. Shen wasn't to put of by this, because most of the time Wello was close to him. Her weapons had been taken of her and put into the caravan, for 'safe keeping'.

Every night, before Shen went to sleep, he would have Wello play a song on her flute, which would send him into a state of relaxation. When she was finished, she would be sent to her tent, and chained to her bed, so she couldn't escape.

About a month into her servitude, on a particular night, Wello had just finished playing Shen his flute music. However, she noticed that Shen had broken down and was silently crying. It wasn't her place, as a slave, to question her master, but she couldn't help herself.

"My Lord are you alright" asked Wello. Shen wiped the tears from his eyes, not wanting to show weakness.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Just, something got into my eye"

"Hehe, Liar, please, tell me whats wrong"

Wello sat on the chair, next to Shen as she placed a wing onto his. A bold move, but Shen didn't seem to mind.

"... Your music … it reminds me of home. My family. Those who wronged me"

Shens other wing turned into an angry fist. Wello saw this, and wanted to know more.

"Shen … what happened to you? Please tell me"

Wello had no right to know what had happened to him, but Shen found it curios why she wanted to know. He had never told anyone how he felt before, maybe venting out to this swan might help.

"It was 20 years ago, that my nanny, a soothsayer, told my fortune that a warrior of black and white would defeat me ..."

As Shen explained to Wello what had happened, and how he came to be exiled, many thoughts and feelings went through her head. At first she thought he was a monster, but as he explained his reasoning, she felt more and more sorry. He had only wanted to prevent his killer from killing him, an act of defense, in a way. As he explained about his exile from his home, she felt more and more pity for her master. All he had, all he had ever known, he was thrown away from, and told to never return. Wello knew what it was like to be an exile, being a gypsy. When Shen was finished talking about his home and his exile, Wello felt a strange feeling for the Peacock. At first she hated him for enslaving her, but now, she had a better understanding of him.

"...and, I've been traveling the world ever since" said Shen as he finished of his tale.

"...Wow … I'm so sorry"

"It's alright, you may go now, I … I wish to go to sleep."

As Wello picked up her flute and made her way to her tent, she heard Shen say "Thank you for listening … Wello"

Wello turned her head to face Shen, who had an appreciative smile on his face. "My pleasure … Shen"

and with that, the two went to their beds, and fell asleep.

A year goes by, and the two have become very close friends. So close, that Shen removed the chains from her bed, allowing her free movement. A year ago, Wello would've tried to escape, but now, she enjoyed Shens company. Shen would amaze her with tales of the world. The things that Shen had seen amazed the young swan, and made her went to see them as well. Tao and the rest of the wolves, noticed that the two had become very close, and would often, playfully mock Shen by making kissy faces.

Another year goes by and Wello had grown very fond, not just of Shen, but of the whole pack. Wello was allowed her weapons, just in case the caravan was attacked. Wello often accompanied Shen for a walk, alone, when they reached a new village. The two would take in the scenery and the people. It was a spectacular experience, to walk into a village and not be accused of being a gypsy. Shen was easily recognized as being a Lord, a Lord of what, no one knew, but he was distinguishable.

However, this happy adventuring would take a turn for the worse as the caravan entered Russia. Shen and Wello took of to explore the village, as per usual. They had just reached the town square, when they noticed that a giant black bear had just beaten an Ox halfway to death. The crowd cheered as the Ox was dragged out of the square and into hospital.

"Does anyone else wish to prove their strength. I will accept any challenge" boasted the bear.

"Shen, maybe we should go." Wello pleaded, sadly, her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"What a show off. Now might be a good time to practice my Cai Li Fo."

Shen walked over to the bear, brandishing his lance. Shen had never really had a chance to properly test out his Cai Li Fo skills, because his wolves would deal with anyone who attempted to assault them. Wello tried to stop him, but he pressed on. As Shen approached the bear, Shen got into his fighting stance.

"You wish to challenge me? Little Peacock"

"My name is Shen, and you would do well to remember it!"

With that, Shen jumped towards the bear, delivering a kick to the chest. It was a good kick, but the bear didn't even flinch. Instead, he uppercut Shen in the stomach, winding the poor foolish Peacock. While Shen was in the air, he spread his wings to float for a brief second, this was all he needed. Shen shot back down, and with his lance, slashed the bear right in the eye, leaving a giant gash there. The bear screamed in agony, as blood poured from his face, but he still had one good eye, and eye fixed on Shen.

When Shen landed, the bear grabbed him by the legs, and dug his claws into them. As blood began to pour from Shens legs, said peacock was screaming in pain. The bear would show no mercy. No one had hurt him more than this small bird. He flipped him over his head, and slammed Shens head directly into the floor, not letting go of his legs. He then picked him up and threw him at a nearby wall, where Wello was standing.

Shen's legs were covered in deep cuts. Shen felt like a fool, what was he trying to do? Show of? Wello ran up to him and cradled his head. The wolves had heard their master scream and were on their was to help. The bear, walked up to Shen, he was going to make him pay for what he did to his eye. His eye was now utterly useless. As he got closer, Wello unsheathed her hidden sword, protecting Shen.

"Please, don't hurt him!"

"You would give your life for this Peacock?"

Wello glanced behind her to look at Shen. Was she willing to go that far to protect him? He had enslaved her, true, but ever since then, he has taught her so much of the world and gave her so much. Without another second to think, Wello answered.

"Absolutely" said Wello as she steeled herself for an attack.

The bear watched, and admired the swan for her bravery. He contemplated about fighting them both, but instead decided to show mercy. He had already marked the Peacock anyway, despite also being marked himself. He would always use the scar that would appear as a reminder, to never get cocky.

"You, Peacock, you have been marked by Razputin Alexandrov. Remember my name, for I will be the strongest man in the world. You are travelers, yes?"

"Y-yes" answered Shen, wearily

"If you find a strong opponent, send him to me, or bring me to him. This is what you owe me for sparing your life. Dasvidaniya , little Peacock."

As Razputin walked away to get his eye seen to Shen blacked out, leaving Wello and the wolves to take him back to the caravan. As soon as they got there, they left the village in a hurry.

Tao did his best, but Shens legs were badly scarred. While the caravan was moving, Shen sat inside, pouting. Wello felt bad for Shen, she knew that Peacocks pride themselves on their looks. These scars didn't help the poor mans ego or pride. When the caravan reached another village, just outside of Russia, Wello went had a very interesting idea. She went into town to visit the blacksmith.

That night, while Shen was in his tent, pouting as usual, Wello stuck her head inside and requested permission to come in.

"Hello Wello, what can I do for you?"

"I have a present for you Shen"

"Thanks, but I'm not one for surprises"

"Oh, but I'm sure you'll like these" Wello handed Shen a rolled up piece of cloth. He took it and carefully unraveled it. In the cloth were a pair of metal talons attached to multiple straps. Shen gazed in wonderment at the gift he had received. They were well made, very sharp and looked menacing.

"So you don't feel ugly anymore" said Wello.

Shen should've know that Wello would know how he felt. After all, he did tell her almost everything about himself. "Thank you" said Shen with a sweet smile. Shen stood up, with Wello's gift in hand and began to put them on.

As he slid on the metal talons to his feet, it felt right.

As he tied the straps around his leg, he felt powerful.

As he put down one foot after the other, he felt malicious.

He took one step forward towards Wello, when he heard the talons make a rather chilling noise. He took another step towards her, pressing down more on his foot, and that is when everyone in the camp heard the sound. The sound of metal, the sound of evil, the sound of death.

_CLANG_

Another year had passed, and Shen's Cai Li Fo, had reached an amazing level. He practiced on his wolves, who came at him with full force. None of them could touch him. Wello always watched him practice. It was like watching poetry in motion. A delicate art, that could be ruined if you did the slightest thing wrong. To her, Shen was beautiful. By now, he had fully embraced the metal talons around his feet, and had incorporated them into his fighting style. As Wello watched him train, all the while Shen could feel her watching him. He was grateful to her. She had given him a new weapon, one that added to his looks. Shen left his home in complete anger, but in the past three years, he knew that he had developed something special with that bird. He didn't feel so angry. He felt content.

He needed to talk to her.

That night, Wello was asked by Shen to accompany him into his quarters. When she arrived, Shen was sitting at his table, drawing some blueprints for a weapon he had a dream about. Shen took of his glasses, and walked over to her.

"Hello Shen, you asked for me" said Wello casually.

"Hello my dear, I have some news for you. I release you from your slavery"

Wello's eyes were as wide as plates. Shen had just released her.

"Why?" asked a very confused swan

"I don't see you as a slave anymore. I see you as someone I trust. I also see it as an insult, no, a crime to keep someone so beautiful in a position they do not want to be. I release you from my captivity, you may do as you wish, Wello" said Shen as he walked ever so closer to Wello

"Anything I want?" asked Wello as she got closer to him

"Anything" replied Shen, as he leaned his neck forward. Their beaks were no more than centimeters apart.

"...Good"

And with that, they both leaned in and kissed each other, for the first time. As their lips touched each other, Shen pulled Wello closer, embracing her with passion. Wello was stroking Shens neck as the two parted their lips, and Shen began to nibble on her neck. Wello loved it, she let out little small moans at every bite. While he was doing this, Wello untied the sash to Shens robe, and slowly slid it of his body. Before her was a glimmering white Peacock, stunning to look at, and soft to the touch. She leaned forward and kissed his chest. Shen closed his eyes out of pleasure, but quickly snapped out of it. He began to untie the sash to Wellos robe, and like she did to him, let it slide of.

The two birds, caressed each other as Shen fell onto his bed, with Wello on top of him. Shen let his hands travel all over the swans body, feeling every curve that she was born with. She looked more beautiful than ever before. Shen had slept with women before, but never has he been with someone he cared about. Wello leaned her head in and whispered in Shens ear.

"I love you Shen"

Shen could feel his heart jump. It had been 23 years since anyone had told him that they loved him, or since he had felt the same. Without a second to think, Shen leaned over to the side desk and blew out the candle. As a small bit of smoke filled the room, and Shens hands went back to exploring the females body, he said one last thing.

"... I love you too"

Ever since that night, the two had become a couple. The pack now refereed to the two as Lord Shen and Lady Wello. The Wolf Boss, patted Shen on the back, congratulating him on his 'excellent find'. The two were now inseparable. Wello had even moved into Shens tent, where the two would talk, joke around and love one another, tenderly. Wello had even put together a tune, dedicated to the love she had for him. Shen loved this song, it always put him at ease.

However, all good things come to an end.

Two years had passed and Shen had just finished working on his final blueprint. He had designed a weapons, that if made properly, would breath fire and spit metal. He decided to call this weapon a 'Cannon'. He felt proud of himself, soon he would have revenge, he would prove his parents wrong, and take over China.

The same second that Shen took of his glasses and placed them on his desk, his messenger, the Crow, entered his tent with a message. Shen was in a good mood, but as soon as the Crow gave him the message, he bolted out of the tent. Shen was confused as to why he did this, until he read who the letter was from. It was from his nanny, the Soothsayer. He ripped the letter open and began to read.

"Dear Shen, It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you, that a few nights ago, your parents passed away in their sleep. I know you held some contempt towards them, but they loved and missed you with all their hearts. I know this letter will reach you, and I hope that you take this will. Forever thinking of you, your Nanny"

Shen clutched the letter in his fist. He felt angry, so angry. He never wanted his parents to die, he just wanted to prove them wrong. They died, they were died and there was nothing he could do. Shen had never experienced loss before, and it hurt. It hurt him so much. He placed the letter on his desk, and slammed his hands on either side of the letter. Loss, hurt. There was no doubt about it. He never wanted anyone he cared about to die. He knew what he had to do, but didn't like it. In a fit of rage, he trashed his room, breaking nearly everything in sight. The wolves heard this, as did Wello, who went in to see if her lover was alright.

"Shen, honey, are you alright?" asked a worried Wello

"Leave my camp Wello, and never come back, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Shen gave her the most evilest glare she had ever seen in her life. Wello was dumbfounded, she never expected to hear those words from him. The wolves outside could hear them both. They too were shocked.

"What? I – I don't understand, why?"

"I've had my fun with you, now leave and never show your face to me again!"

"But – I love you. You told me you loved me!"

Wello was in tears at this point, and Shen could only grit his teeth as he spoke these next few words.

"... I lied. I never loved you. Leave. Now"

The room was silent for a good minute until Wello stormed out of the tent, in tears. She grabbed her things and left for the nearest village. Back in the tent, Shen overlooked the letter that he had received earlier, and broke down into tears. He hated himself for what he just done, but he needed to do it.

"Sir, whats going on" asked the Wolf Boss, who had just entered the tent.

"None of your business. Tell the wolves to get ready. We are leaving for China"

"China, sir? We're going home?"

"Yes, we are going home"

Shen wiped the tears from his eyes and steeled himself. He needed to be strong. He stood alone now, alone to face the world.

**Present day**

**Shens Tent**

"Tell me Shen, tell me why you told me to leave" asked Wello, who was crying once more, with her sword pointing at Shens throat.

"... I didn't want you to die" whispered Shen as a few tears escaped.

Wello lowered her sword to her side and looked at the Peacock with a blank expression. "What?"

Shen stood to his feet, crying slightly. He was about to explain everything to her, but it wouldn't be easy.

"The day I sent you away, I received a letter informing me of my parents death. I had never experienced death before. I have killed, but never has anyone I cared about died. It hurt Wello, it hurt me more than you can imagine. Then I thought to myself, that if you came with me, and if I lost, you could die. I – I can live without my parents, but I can't live without you."

Wello dropped her sword to the floor in astonishment to this news.

"As it turns out, I did lose, and a lot of my men died. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if one of them were you. So, to protect you, I had to send you away, but if I told you to stay at a certain place, you would say no and would just want to follow me. I know you that well" Shen and Wello let out a small chuckle at this fact.

Wello couldn't believe what she was hearing. Shen got rid of her, to protect her. All along, she thought he hated her, when in truth, he loved her more than ever.

"So … why did you call me back. I could still get hurt?" said Wello as she walked closer to Shen.

"Your right, but I learned something from my first attempt. Without you, I can't think straight. I can't keep calm. Without you, I can't win."

With every word, Wello could feel the anger in her subside and die. With every word, her love for this man grew and grew. She knew that what had happened separated them for five years, but the love, never died.

"Wello … I never stopped loving you"

Shen leaned in to steal a kiss, but was stopped by Wello's wing. Shen pulled back and looked at Wello, eye to eye.

"Shen, I have always loved you. Never separate us again, okay?"

"Okay"

With that, Wello leaned in and passionately kissed Shen. The two kissed and hugged as the army outside continued their party. For the first time, in five long years, the two lovers felt each others embrace, as throughout the night, the two let their passion take over as they had their reunion.

**A/N: Christ, that is a long chapter, longest one I've made actually. So what did you think? Do you like the Shen and Wello pairing, do tell do tell. I have some free time coming up soon so I will update asap. It's kinda cool to experiment with a side of Shen that no one knows about. Now you all know about how Raz, Wello and Shen met, its time to get this party started. Getting anxious? I know I am L-eight-ers.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm glad that so many people like Wello. I'm having a lot of fun with her … so is Shen apparently. Ha! Anyway, lets get this party started. Enjoy. Warning, contains mild language, violence and gore. Would you expect anything less of me?**

**Chapter 7: The Festival of the Dragon and the Phoenix**

Shen walked out of Wello's tent, feeling very manly, considering what he spent the night doing. A smile small etched its way onto his face as he overlooked his army. Following him, was Wello, who walked up to Shen and hugged him from behind, planting a small kiss on his cheek. Shen felt like he could take on the whole world.

"Good morning everyone" shouted Shen, waking up his slightly hungover army. Nearly everyone grunted at the over loud Peacock, some got up, but the others went back to sleep. Deciding to get his message across, Shen walked over to the nearby blackboard, where he drew most of his plans, and scraped his metal talons on it. The screeching noise echoed through the cave, sending a chill down everyone's spine. If they weren't awake, they were now.

"Maybe Shen didn't make himself clear. Let me make it clearer. MOVE"

Wello's order echoed throughout the cave. Everyone scampered to their feet and began packing up supplies and getting ready to leave. Shen and Wello let out the evilest of chuckles as they watched the panic they had created.

In about an hour, Shen's army was ready to march.

Shen, Wello and the rest of the generals were at the front, leading the army. To make sure they would not be found, they took the path through the forests and trees, Anything to stay hidden. They needed the element of surprise for this to work. Staying hidden would mean it would take longer to get there, but it would be worth it. Step by step, Shen could feel victory coming closer. It was time for his revenge.

**Two Weeks Later**

**The Valley of Peace**

**The Night of the Festival**

Night had just fallen in the Valley and everyone was excited, the festival had officially begun. Decorations of the Dragon and Fenghuang were posted all over the walls, table after table was covered with delicious looking food, a stage was set up with a band and a dance floor. There was also countless stalls selling countless things from all across China. The sky lit the whole valley with millions of stars and the full yellow moon. Truly, it was a night of romance.

Po, Shifu and the Five had just came down from the Palace. They were wearing the same outfits they wore to the festival three months ago, except Shifu, who wore what he usually wore. Po was standing with Tigress, holding hands, their fingers intertwined. Viper and Mantis were sharing a few sarcastic jokes, some of which ended up with the snake smacking the insect. Crane had hoped Mei Ling would've been able to make it, alas, she couldnt. Monkey, the big casanova, decided to go with two females from his home village, one in each arm. Shifu did not have a date, but decided to mingle with the villagers.

The couples went their separate ways. Viper slithered to the stalls, followed by Mantis. Crane caught the scent of cooking fish, and was drawn to them. Monkey and his dates, went towards a bar for a few drinks. Shifu went to play mahjong with some of the elderly. Po and Tigress went into noodle shop to get something to eat. The place was packed. Most of the couples were staring into each others eyes, that they never noticed the Dragon Warrior enter. As Po and Tigress walked up to the counter, was making a new batch of noodles.

"Hey dad"

"Oh, my boy, it is so good to see you" said the old goose, as he walked outside and gave his son a hug. "I swear Po, you are getting thinner."

"Haha, maybe. Hey dad, could you whip us something to eat?"

"Us?"

surveyed his son and noticed he was holding hands with Master Tigress. As soon as he saw that, he put two and two together, and felt so proud of his son. "Oh! My boy is on his first date"

Po rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger in embarrassment. "Dad, the noodles please"

"Oh, I'm so happy for you my boy. You know he had always dreamed of going out with you, Master Tigress"

"Really?" asked a blushing Tigress

"Dad!" said Po as he tried to but in. It didn't work.

"Oh, yes, when he was younger he would walk up to hand over a love letter, oh those where the days"

The two warriors blushed at each other and laughed. It was because of those letters that they were here today. As went on a nostalgic rant about the past, to himself. Po felt someone tug at his pants. Looking down, he noticed a few of the children from the school.

"Hey kids, good to see you"

"Hey Po, are you on a date?" asked one of the children. Po blushed as he looked over to Tigress, who looked even more beautiful than the last time she wore her dress. Nervously, he nodded back to the children, who all said "ewww. Gross"

"Whats wrong with that?" asked an offended Panda

"Girls have cooties" shouted one of the male children. The girls of the group nudged some of the boys in defense. Tigress saw this and decided to teach the boys a lesson.

"Yeah, we girls have cooties, and this is how we pass them on." With that, Tigress leaned up and kissed Po on the cheek. Po's eyes shot wide open as he turned an ever brighter shade of red. Tigress was also blushing, but was hidden well by her fur. She leaned back down, and addressed the children once more. "So, you best watch out, cause if you get kissed on the cheek, you have cooties for life."

The girls of the group noticed that Tigress gave them a small wink. The girls immediately knew what she had planned, and they started to chase the boys, making kissy faces. All the kids ran out of the shop and into the street, either wanting to give kisses or running from them.

The couple got their noodles and walked into the street, looking at all the festivities. There were street performers, games and all sorts of wonderful things to do. As the two ate their noodles, Tigress just had to ask something that had been bothering her since they left the noodle shop.

"Po?"

"Yes Tigress?"

"Is it true what your father said?"

"What part?"

"This is your first date?"

Po nearly choked on the noodles he had in his mouth. Tigress patted him on the back to help him. He had hoped she didn't hear that part. There was no escaping it now.

"Ugh … well … yeah, kinda." said Po nervously as he cleared his throat and tried to breath. Tigress was a little bit taken back by this fact.

"Why havent you been on a date before? I mean your a nice guy."

"Sure, but, well, who would want to go out with a big fat panda." Po patted his stomach, which has caused him much grief in the past. Tigress felt angry. So he was fat, so what? Po was kind, sweet and loveable. Tigress in her past, never socialized much, but she could tell because of his weight that he must have been rejected and bullied a lot. Tigress was about to contemplate hunting down all the people who hurt Po to slap some sense into them, but when she noticed those sad green eyes, she knew what she had to say.

Tigress stood in front of Po and stroked his cheek with her hand. Tigress's hand felt so soft and warm, Po tried his best not to nuzzle into her hand. While she was stroking his cheek, a sweet, tender smile found it's way onto her face, and she whispered.

"I would, Po."

Po could feel his heart race as these words sunk into his brain. He stroked the hand that was stroking his face. Po then took the hand and kissed it. Tigress blushed at this gesture, as Po returned her hand. The two shared a sweet smile as they continued to walk down the street, finishing of their noodles.

"You know Po, this is my first date to" pointed out Tigress

"Really? Huh, so we're each others first right?"

It took Po a full minute to realize what he had just said.

"I MEAN, UH..."

Tigress couldn't help but laugh at the now panicking Panda.

"It's okay Po, I know what you meant" said Tigress as her laughter died down.

As the night went on, people danced, drank and sang the night away. Shifu had lost a few games of mahjong, Viper was enjoying her night with Mantis, Crane was enjoying the many fish that were being served, Monkey and his two ladies were found passed out at the bar. Po and Tigress enjoyed each others company. Midnight was slowly approaching, and everyone knew what that meant. When midnight struck, every couple had to share a kiss. It symbolized each others love, and would bring good fortune to them both.

The band started to play a slow, romantic song, as all the couples went onto the dance floor for one final dance: the slow dance. Po and Tigress began to walk towards the dance floor but was shoved aside by the rushing couples who wanted the spotlight. Soon, the whole dance floor was packed with couples, hugging and spinning in a circle slowly. Po and Tigress began to pout. Thanks to Po's girth there was no space for them. Then, as if from nowhere, a female swan, carrying an umbrella, approached them from behind.

"My, my, such a lovely couple" said the Swan

"Thank you" replied Po, blushing

"Here, let me play you two a small tune, just for you"

Without time to reply, the swan placed down her umbrella and pulled out a flute from within her robe. When she started to play, Po and Tigress became fixated on her music. It was beautiful, graceful and romantic. For them, this music drowned out the music from the band. As the swan sat down on the ground, still playing, Po and Tigress looked at each other sweetly. Po opened his arms to Tigress, inviting her to dance with him.

She gracefully accepted.

Tigress wrapped her arms around Po, and Po put his hands on her waist. The two then began to sway side to side while slowly moving in a circle. As the two began to slow dance, their eyes never left each other. For Po, Tigress's eyes were majestic. The moon reflecting of them almost made them hypnotizing. Po's heart was racing at a million miles a minute. He had his hands on Tigress's waist. The girl he has loved for so many years.

For Tigress, Po's eyes held many wonders in them. The color, the honesty, the caring. Every time she looked into his eyes, her heart would begin to flutter and race. Truly, she knew that she loved Po, and tonight she would tell him.

Love

A word, a feeling.

And yet the strongest word and feeling of them all.

Tigress never thought that she would ever fall in love, or that anyone could ever fall in love with her.

A tear trickled down Tigress's face, which Po noticed.

"Tigress, why are you crying?"

"I … I've never been this happy before" admitted Tigress as she wiped the tear from her face. Po, felt his face turn slightly red. The feeling Tigress had, was the same he had. Tonight was the night, now or never.

Po moved his hands from her waist and onto her back, and pulled Tigress into an embracing hug. Tigress nuzzled the side of her head onto Po's shoulder as he stroked the back of her neck with one of his hands. Tigress began to purr at this gesture. In return, Tigress started to caress Po's back, letting out her claws a little, so she could teasingly scratch him a little. When Po felt this, it sent shivers down his spine. He liked it. Po rested his head on Tigress's shoulder as they continued their dance and slight teasing.

Suddenly the band, and the flute player, stopped playing their instruments. That meant only one thing: It was coming up for midnight.

Po and Tigress broke their embrace, but still hold onto each other, gazing into each others eyes.

As the countdown began, the two felt something, they didn't feel nervous, worried or panicky. To them, this felt right.

Unbeknownst to them, high in the sky, Razorbeak and his bird army were circling the Valley, looking for the sign. All the birds, except Razorbeak, were carrying a lit torch and a sack with a fuse sticking out of it.

On the ground, the flute player, had picked up her umbrella and opened it. While in her hand, she began to spin it fast. Razorbeak, saw the spinning umbrella. This was the sign. The sign that the Dragon Warrior was right in front of her.

"Okay boys, you know what to do"

With that, Razorbeak left his men and skydived towards Po.

"5...4..." said one of the band members.

Po and Tigress got closer and closer, there noses touching.

"3..."

Closer and closer still. They could feel each others warm breath on their skin.

"2..."

Po and Tigress both closed their eyes as they prepared to share their first kiss, ever.

"1!"

Their lips weren't even two centimeters away, when Razorbeak swooped in and grabbed Po by his fur on the back of his neck with his talons. He ripped him away from Tigress, who was practically about to kiss air. Everyone's kiss was interrupted by the Eagle throwing Po into a nearby wall. Po slammed into the wall, and landed on the floor with a thud. Razorbeak flipped in the air and dove once again towards Po, with his razor-edged beak pointing at the Panda's heart. Po saw this coming and as he got up, uppercut the bird, sending him twirling into the air.

Shifu and the rest of the five, also noticed this attack, and rushed over to Po's side.

"Po, are you alright" asked Shifu

"Yeah, I'm fine, he just caught me of guard" replied Po

"Let's cook this bird!" said a very, very angry Tigress. Razorbeak, had not only ruined the whole evening, but he had ruined her first kiss. He would pay. Razorbeak, finally got his composure back, and perched himself on one of the roofs.

"Good, now that I have your attention. Prepare to meet your doom! Try and catch _these _Panda!"

Razorbeak, shot of towards the sky, back to his men. Po and the others looked at the many birds in the sky, but couldn't tell what they were carrying. When Razorbeak returned, one of the birds, lit the fuse with the torch he was carrying and let the sack go. The object fell towards the valley and landed on the pottery shop, which was near Po's location. As soon as the object hit the shop, it exploded, destroying the shop, and sending a shock wave that knocked over a lot of people.

"What the hell was that?" asked a groggy Monkey.

"I have no idea, but we must protect the villagers" replied Shifu, who then rushed to the stage to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, go to your home, and get your essentials. Then head to the Jade Palace. Hurry!" As soon as he had finished his statement, another object was dropped by the birds, this time much closer, killing a few of the elderly. Some of which were good friends with Shifu

Without a second to think, the whole valley rushed to their homes and got the bear essentials. The band, street performers and a certain flute player, made their way to the jade palace along with the villagers.

Po and the five, along with Shifu had to do something about these birds, and the objects they were dropping.

"Viper, Mantis, hop on" ordered Crane. The two complied. Mantis held onto Cranes hat and Viper wrapped herself around his neck as they shot of into the air, taking the birds head on. One of the birds dropped the sack he was holding. As it got closer to Po, he had an idea.

"Hey, these things sorta look like cannonballs" Po pointed out to the remaining five and Shifu. As Po got into his Inner Peace stance, everything went into slow motion. Po could now see what these objects were. '_It's metal ball, a cannonball. No problem. Wait, no, something is different. There's a fuse coming out of it. Its lit, its going to …' _

was all Po could think when the metal ball exploded about 5 feet from his hand. The blast sent Po screeching on the ground. Tigress ran over to him, helping him up. Po's ears were ringing, his vision blurry, his head was spinning. All around him, he could see fire and explosions, and the remains of those who were unfortunate to be in the blast radius. More and more, these explosives fell, shaking the earth on contact. As Po's vision, hearing and balance started to come back, he noticed Tigress was shouting something to him.

"PO! PO! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" said Tigress, who was cradling his head, trying to wake him up

"I-I'm fine, Tigress" said Po, who had finally regained his senses.

"Oh thank god!" said Tigress, as she hugged Po. It didn't last long, as Shifu interrupted.

"Listen, they aren't carrying cannonballs, they're carrying some sort of explosives"

"We have more problems, get up Po"

Shifu pointed out towards the entrance to the valley. From the woods in the south, some wolf and crocodile bandits appeared and had pushed out, what looked like a giant wooden spoon on wheels. What it was however, was Shens newest weapon: The Catapult.

The bandits loaded a giant boulder into the catapult, and pulled the switch, sending it flying towards the valley. Shifu jumped into the air and with one punch, turned the boulder into rubble. The wolves smirked at this, as more bandits brought out more catapults, with a lot more boulders. Po, Tigress, Shifu and Monkey, braced themselves for the barrage of boulders that was to come.

Meanwhile, in the sky.

Mantis, jumped of Cranes and kicked one of the birds in the face, sending him crashing into some other birds, making their explosives go of. Viper was jumping from bird to bird, entangling them with her body, and breaking their necks. Crane was fighting of as many birds as he could, while making sure Mantis or Viper didn't fall to their death. Suddenly, Crane was smacked by a very powerful force. Razorbeak tackled the avian bird away from his men.

"You've got some skill, rookie" mocked Razorbeak as he flapped his wings, keeping him afloat.

"Who you calling a 'rookie' old timer" snapped back Crane

"Hahaha, C'mon, lets see who really rules the sky"

Razorbeak lunged towards Crane, but the young bird was fast. He dove below Razorbeak and then raised himself up, taking of into the clouds. Razorbeak gave chase. To them, this was a game of hide and seek. They had to be quiet, one wrong move and the fight would be over. Crane looked as much as he could, but the clouds were thick. Razorbeak could not be seen, and if he did see him, it would be to late to react. Then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a glimmer in the clouds. The moonlight was shining of Razorbeaks beak. This was all that Crane needed. He dashed towards the Eagle and dealt a swift kick to his jaw. Once again, the eagle was sent spinning into the air. Once he regained his balance, he dove back into the clouds, hiding.

Mantis and Viper were busy, taking out as many birds as they could.

"Some date huh?" joked Mantis

"I don't know, I kinda like it." joked Viper, teasingly

"Ohohoho, you are one dangerous lady" replied Mantis, while he set of another one of the birds explosives.

Viper giggled at his comment, but was grabbed by one of the birds. "Mantis, help me" screamed Viper, who hated being in the talons of birds.

"Hang on, I'm coming" said Mantis as he struggled to get to her. "Let her go, you feather duster with legs." The bird, complied.

Viper was falling at an incredible speed towards the earth. Mantis, who was stuck, holding up the upper half of a beak so he wouldn't be eaten, couldn't help her.

"Your good kid, you found my weakness" said Razorbeak as he flew through the clouds.

"It was pretty obvious" mocked Crane

"Hmhmhm, and so is yours, look down there"

Crane looked down to see his friend falling to her death, without hesitating, he dove towards her, forgetting all about Razorbeak. It was a grueling chase, but Crane grabbed Viper in his talons. Viper was freaking from almost being flattened and the fact she was in a birds talons once again. Crane didn't have the time to calm her down, as Razorbeak dove into Cranes back, sending him flying towards the ground. Crane turned around to face his attacker. Razorbeak used his talons to claw away at the birds face. Crane used his long legs to push Razorbeak away, but the Eagle was much stronger than he was. He leaned in and bit into Cranes leg, greatly wounding him. Crane could feel the sharp razors digging into his skin and bone. Razorbeak was about to bite his whole leg of, when Mantis fell on his head, and kicked him in the eye. Razorbeak spread out his wings, giving him flight once more, letting Crane, Mantis and Viper fall to the ground. To make sure that they died however, Razorbeak ordered his men to drop the rest of their explosives. Hundreds of explosive metal balls fell towards the three warriors, and if nothing was done, they would die.

"Mantis, get in my hat" shouted Crane

"Your the boss" said Mantis as he scurried into Cranes hat.

Crane sent a distant glare to the eagle that had bested him, he would not allow him to win. Taking in a large amount of air, Crane readied himself for his next attack.

"WINGS OF JUSTICE" shouted Crane, loud enough so that everyone could hear, Po, the five and especially Razorbeak.

Crane then slapped his wings together and sent a shock wave towards the falling explosives. Razorbeak was amazed when the metal balls stopped in the air, but was horrified when they shot back right to them.

"RETREAT!" shouted Razorbeak to his men, but it was to late. The balls had already reached them and exploded, killing them all. Razorbeak fell from the sky, barely conscious. He dived towards the bandits who were firing boulders at the valley.

As Crane flipped over and gracefully flew over to Po and the others, Razorbeak landed at the feet of a wolf with a loud thud.

" I … I think … I think we got their attention. Proceed to phase two"

The wolf nodded at the Eagles order. As he picked him up and carried him on his back, he gave the order to the bandits to retreat. The wolves and the crocodiles all ran towards the woods to the west. Po, Shifu and the others all helped Viper calm down and Crane with his damaged leg. Noticing that the enemy had retreated into the west woods, Shifu gave the order for everyone to go to the Jade Palace.

Once there, Po and the five, except for Crane, changed into their normal clothes, ready to pursue their attackers. Shifu and Crane were taking care of the villagers and street performers. Some were in panic, some were injured, and some had succumbed to their wounds.

The flute player was tending to Cranes leg, it was a mess. Razorbeak had torn through the skin and sinew, and was scraping against the bone. Crane had to be strong, but even he had a hard time showing he was not in pain. Po and the rest of the Five approached Shifu, waiting for their orders. Shifu, who had just closed the eyes of another one of his oldest friends, stood up and faced his students, with anger in his eyes.

"Find those responsible … and bring them to justice"

Po and the others nodded, and took off.

As they left the valley and ran of into the west side of the woods, Shen and the rest of his army were watching from east, hidden in the trees. Things were going perfectly.

As Po and the others dashed onwards to catch the attackers, Po slowed down a little to talk to Tigress.

"Hey Tigress" panted Po

"Yes?"

"You still owe me a dance" said Po as he smirked. Tigress snickered at this silliness. She wanted to tell Po how she felt, and continue where they had left of, but that would have to wait, they had a job to do. In the distance, the bandits had stopped near the edge of a cliff. This place was known as Thunder Pass, because over the cliff was a rapid river, with jagged rocks, which lead to a giant waterfall. The noise of the water, hitting the rocks, was so loud and fast that it sounded like thunder. The bandits were resting at some nearby trees, a safe distance from the cliff.

"Man, did you see the look on their faces?" asked one of the bandits.

"Yeah, they were all like 'oh no, not more rocks' and we were like 'oh yeah, were sending more rocks' and they were like – ugh"

The bandit was cut of by Razorbeak, who had kicked him in the jaw. "Silence you fool, and get ready. They are coming"

"You gotta be kidding me? There is no way that big fat panda could've caught up to - "

The bandit was cut of, by a giant black and white ball, slamming into his back, at full speed and force. The bandit was sent flying, face first into one of the trees. The rest looked in shock at the damage that had been done, before they saw that the attacked was none other than the Dragon Warrior.

Po uncurled from his ball, feeling very dizzy. Tigress was there to help him regain his balance.

"You know. Ugh. I think the cannonball attack was a good plan, phew" said Po, as the others caught up with them. The five masters got into their fighting stance, ready to rumble.

"Well well, look who stumbled in"

"Your going to pay for what you did to Crane" shouted Po

"Awwww, did I hurt that itty bitty weakling? Hahahaha"

"You take that back you bastard" shouted Mantis

"Why don't you come and make me, shorty"

Enough was enough, Po and the others charged at the bandits. Po ran up and stood on a wolfs foot, then he flipped over him and grabbed his ears, as Po landed he threw the wolf at some oncoming enemies. Tigress ran towards a wolf, who was raising a sword in the air. Tigress arched her back and fell to her knees as she powerslided towards the wolf. As the sword came down, it barely missed the Tiger, as she slid between his legs. That's when she saw her target. Before going completely through, Tigress sent a swift punch between the wolfs legs. The poor wolf, whimpered as his manhood was crushed with on measly punch. As Tigress was finishing her slide, she pushed herself up with her hands with full force, and sent both her knees to two oncoming bandits. Monkey had broken of a nearby branch and was using it to fend of multiple crocodiles. One of the crocs lept forward and tried to take a bite out of him, Monkey avoided this well, and smacked the croc on the head. Monkey then ran on the scaly enemy, and jumped of its tail. Two other crocs were coming from him at opposite sides. Monkey planted his make-shift weapon into the ground, and spun around on the top of it, using his hands. He delivered a swift kick to one of the crocs temples, and another kick to the other ones eye. As Monkey got of the stick, he eyed the last to crocs who surrounded him. They looked at each other, nervously, and decided to turn and run, but Monkey wouldn't allow it. Carefully, he aimed his stick and threw it at one of the crocs heads. By luck the stick hit the croc, ricocheted of his head, and smack the other one. "Hehe, two crocs with one stick." Before he could even laugh at his own joke, he was surrounded by more bandits.

Viper and Mantis were working together to take down Razorbeak, who, although hurt, was an amazing fighter. Mantis jumped, and tried to kick the Eagle in the head, but Razorbeak swiftly ducked. Viper in retaliation, wrapped herself around the bird, hoping to snap him in two. Razorbeak simply spread his wings, knocking the snake of. As Razorbeak turned back to face Mantis, he saw three stones coming towards him. Razorbeak knocked the stones to one side and surveyed the area for the small insect. Little did he know, that on the third stone that was thrown, was Mantis, attached to it. Mantis picked up the stone, jumped and and smacked Razorbeak in the face with it. The wounded bird, staggered back, spitting out blood.

"You little – I'll make you pay for that. I'll make you all pay"

"You and what army?" mocked Viper as she slithered up to Mantis.

"This one" replied Razorbeak. As soon as he finished his answer, Viper and Mantis found themselves surrounded by more bandits. There didn't seem to be and end to them.

Po was holding his own ground, until he felt a big furry hand on his shoulder. Before Po could even blink, he was thrown past the trees and towards the cliff. Po screeched to a stop as he was nearing the edge of the cliff. Po could see the rapid river, the rocks, and in the distance, the waterfall.

Po stood up and turned to face who it was who threw him. In front of him were ten wolves.

"Alright, so which one of you has the good throwing arm?" questioned Po.

From out of the darkness of the trees, came a tall, black bear wearing a long gray coat. Po's mouth opened in awe and fear. He looked scary, and the scar on his eye didn't help. He was about one foot taller than Po.

"I am the one with good throwing arm"

"Oh, you, hehe, ugh, nice throw" said Po nervously.

"High praise, from you. You are legendary Dragon Warrior, yes?"

"Y-yeah, that's me"

"Good, I am glad we finally get to meet"

"Wait, are you the one behind all this?" asked Po, who was getting angrier.

"No, I am not on their side, I just want one thing, Panda."

"Oh … and what would that be"

"A fight to the death … with you" The black bear pointed at Po, which made said Panda, very nervous.

"With me? Why?"

"You are Dragon Warrior, strongest warrior in China, right?"

"Me? The strongest? Nah, I don't think so. I think Tigress is much stronger" Po pointed out the Tiger behind the bear. Po lowered his head in nervousness. This bear was seriously scary. The bear glanced behind him to the Tiger. The bear simply smirked.

"If that is true, then I am disappointed. You see, I already fought that kitten, and she was no match for me. No match at all"

Po raised his head slowly, and glared at the bear in front of him. His eyes were filled with pure rage, his hands had turned into fists, and the fear that was inside him was gone.

"Your the one who did that to Tigress?" shouted Po

"Hmhmhm, it was fun, I enjoyed watching her beg for mercy as I beat her to a pulp. It was -"

Before the bear could even finish, Po jumped towards him and kneed him in the chin. This bear had officially crossed the line. When Po landed, he grabbed the bear by his coat and threw him towards the edge of the cliff. The bear landed on his feet, and slowly stood up, wiping the blood from his jaw. Po was about to lunge for the bear, when he eyed the wolves behind him.

"Don't worry Panda. They will not interfere, they are just here as witnesses." said the bear as he regained his composure.

"You want a fight to the death, you got it!" said Po as he got in his fighting stance.

The bear cracked his neck and his knuckles at the same time, preparing himself for the fight to come. "Good, don't disappoint me, Panda"

"Lets do it!"

And with that, the two warriors charged at each other, both of them swinging their right hand back, sending it forward, and smacking each other on the side of the face with their strongest punches. The shock wave from the punch, opened the bears coat, making it rustle in the wind. The ground around them cracked a little, and the leaves on the trees began to quiver. This would be Po's hardest fight to date, but he would not let this bear get away, not after what he did.

He had to win.

**Meanwhile, The Jade Palace**

All the villagers were in the Jade Palace, treating their wounds or the wounds of others. Shifu was also trying his best to help the villagers, but he was worried for his students. The flute player was still tending to Cranes leg. She would not let Crane or Shifu out of his sight. Unbeknownst to everyone in the palace. A lone bird was walking up towards the jade palace, his hands in his robe, contemplating how this was going to turn out. He had not set foot on these steps in over 30 years.

Shen, was going to enjoy tearing this place apart.

approached Shifu, with something to eat in his hand.

"Thank you, " said Shifu as he began to eat what was given to him.

"No problem Master Shifu. Are you okay?"

"I am fine . It's just, I get nervous whenever I send my students out on a mission."

"I see … especially after what happened last time"

Shifu knew what was talking about. The cannon nearly killing Po. Tigress being brought in, half dead. Shifu felt so much pain when he thought one of his students had died, even worse when he thought his own daughter was dying. But how did know

"What? How did you"

"Po told me. Shifu, you and I are both fathers, I know what it is like to worry. I worry all the time, even when Po is in the palace I worry for him. I know you worry for your students, but I bet your really worried about Master Tigress"

"... I almost lost her. Someone nearly killed her. I – I worry."

Shifu clutched onto his staff, as he held back the tears that were beginning to form. placed one of his wings on the red pandas shoulders and looked at him with a smile. "Then, you are a good father."

Shifu tried his best to smile at the compliment, but it did not help. He was still worried.

"Besides, Po is with her, and if I know my boy, he wont let anyone hurt his friends"

Shifus smile started to become stronger. was right, Po would protect his daughter if he couldn't.

" … Thank -"

Shifu was cut of by the palace door locks being sliced in half. As the door burst open, Shifu saw a face he did not expect to see. None of the villagers expected to see his face ever again. Shen stood in the doorway, a devious smile on his face, placing his hands back inside his robe. He surveyed the room until he found Shifu. As the two masters locked eyes, a bolt of lightning struck in the distance, followed by the noise, which sent a chill down everyone's spine. Shen walked into the palace, and all anyone could hear was the clanging noise of the metal talons hitting the marble floor. No one dared to speak, some didn't dare to breath. Shen waled over to Shifu, but stopped halfway, as he noticed a small family of rabbits, cowering bellow him. Shen leaned forward, and whispered "Boo."

The whole family passed out due to fear, which caused Shen to laugh in amusement. He continued to walk over to Shifu, who had taken his defensive stance.

"Lord Shen, your looking well, for a corpse."

"Oh didn't you know, dead is the new alive this season."

"So, this is all your doing"

"Well done, someone give the genius a hand. Of course it was me you idiot!"

"What do you want"

Shen stopped about 6 feet away from Shifu. He raised his head and addressed the villagers. "I offer you this once chance, run, run from this valley and you will live. Stay here and you will die. I have some 'matters' I wish to discuss with your Grandmaster. Leave or die, your choice."

The villagers looked at each other, all hesitant to leave, all thinking it was a trick or a trap. Shifu never took his eyes of Shen, until he heard a grunt come from Crane. The flute player, who was attending to his leg, had just hit him with a paralyzing dart. Quickly, the swan reloaded her flute, and blew a dart towards Shifu, who deflected the dart, but the dart still nicked him, just slightly. The paralyzing poison was in his veins. It wouldn't be long until the full effect kicked in.

"GO! RUN!" ordered Shifu. The villagers complied. All the villagers, stormed past Shen and out of the palace. Each villager knew where to go. In case of an emergency, like this one, or when Tai Lung attacked, there was a rendezvous point that all the villagers had to head to. Before headed out the door, Shifu grabbed him by the shoulder and said "take care of the villagers, until I get there"

"Take care, old friend"

"You too, now go"

With all the villagers gone, Shen, Shifu, Wello and a paralyzed Crane were left.

"So … this is how it is going to be?" questioned Shifu as he grabbed his staff, and readied himself.

Wello unsheathed her sword from her umbrella. She held the sword in one hand, and the umbrella in the other. Shen pulled out his lance from his robe, along with three knives in one of his hands.

"Well, you see Shifu..." said Wello as she got into her fighting stance

"That … is how it must be" said Shen as he glared at the old master, readying himself in his stance.

About 5 miles apart, both Pandas were getting ready to fight for their lives. Not just their lives, but the lives of all they cared about. Both Po and Shifu took a silent vow

They would not lose.

No matter what.

**A/N: Ooooooooh, I feel bad leaving it of their, but your just gonna have to wait until I update to see what happens. Will Po make Razputin pay for what he did. Will Shifu stand a chance against the terrible duo. Find out next time. Until then. Review, and tell me what you thought, tell me tell me tell me ^-^. Late – ers.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Nothing to say, I know your all anxious to see what happens, lets roll. Enjoy.**

**Warning: Contains violence, blood, gore and bad language. Yay!**

**Chapter 8: Fall at Thunder Plains**

Po and Razputin staggered backwards from the punches they had just received. Po flinched at the pain in his jaw, as did Razputin, but Po quickly regained his train of thought. He rushed over to Razputin and sent a punch towards his chest, but the bear grabbed his hand before it touched him. Po used this to his advantage and jumped up to kick him in the face. Po was once again blocked by the bears other hand. Razputin, who now had a hold of Po's hand and foot, lifted Po above his head and swung him down at full force towards his knee. Po saw the knee coming and used his free hand to stop the blow. Using all his force, Po broke free from the lock and landed on his feet a good distance from his opponent.

"Well done Panda, not many people have dodged that move" complimented Razputin.

"Hmph, well I'm not like everyone else" said Po as he got back into his fighting stance.

"I wonder if your kitten friend would've been able to dodge that attack? Maybe I should go find out after we are done"

Po dashed towards Razputin in total anger. Razputin was ready to block any fist or kick attack, but instead, Po leaned forward and rammed his head, at full speed, into Razputins stomach. Razputin leaned forward as a reaction to the blow. Po anticipated this and swung his head up at full force, headbutting the bear in the chin. The two staggered backwards, but Po was the first to regain his composure, he then jumped towards Razputin, throwing a punch towards his face.

It made contact … sort of

Razputin saw the fist coming a mile away and opened his mouth to greet it. When the fist was in, he bit down, hard. Po was in bitter agony as Razputins razor sharp teeth began to grind at the Pandas bones. Razputin began to bite down harder and harder, if he continued like this, he could bite the whole hand of. Po, in a panic, used his free hand to punch Razputin in the stomach and chest, multiple times. However, it had very little effect, it only made Razputin bite down harder. Although it wasn't his style, Po decided to play rough. He jumped up, onto Razputin, and dug his thumb into the bears good eye. After a few seconds, Razputin released his grip on Po's hand, as he tended to his sore eye. Po walked away, tending to his bleeding hand, it was in a bad condition. Po tore of some cloth from his pants and wrapped it around his hand. Razputin had just got his vision back when Po had finished wrapping his hand.

The two shot each other a glare. Lightning struck and thunder roared as the distant rain had finally caught up to them. The two bears enjoyed the cold rain, soothing their mind, trying to read his opponent. The mud below them became slippery, the patter of the rain on the leaves calmed the bears. While they looked at each other, they planned out move after move. Po was never one for all this detail, but from what he did to Tigress, Po knew he had to be at his best.

Another bolt of lightning struck in the distance, as it struck, covering the area in white, the two charged towards each other to continue the fight. Po jumped into the air as Razputin swung his fist back. Po delivered a strong kick to the Bears ribcage while Razputin delivered another strong punch to the Pandas face.

Po and Razputin flinched at the pain, but never took their eyes of each other. They refused to give the other an opening.

Meanwhile, in the far of distance, at the Jade Palace.

_Clang! Ting! Scrape!_

Shifu was using the metal ornament on his staff to deflect Shens lance. Shen constantly jabbed his lance towards Shifus heart. The fact that his attacks were being blocked didn't annoy the Peacock. No, this is what he wanted. Shen the jumped back, as Wello jumped into the air, bringing her sword down towards Shifu, who held his cane in both hands and blocked the attack. Wello pressed down on her sword as hard as she could. Shifu could feel the sweat drip of him. Shen, by this time, had pulled out a few knives and threw them as Shifu. Wello jumped to one side as she saw the knives coming. Shifu turned around, and barely had time to deflect the knives. Despite this surprise, he deflected the knives perfectly, however, one of the knives, after if had been deflected, grazed the red pandas shoulder. Shifu grit his teeth in pain as Shen and Wello circled the Grandmaster.

"I should've known you sent the Panda to defeat me, Shifu. You have always stood in my way!" Shouted Shen as he pointed his lance at Shifu.

"I did what had to be done!" replied Shifu, with equal volume.

"Ha! Tell me, you repulsive rodent. When I was last here, thirty-five years ago, with my parents, and the pleaded with you to train me in the art of Kung Fu, to train me to be a better man. What did you say?"

"I – I was..."

"TELL ME!" Shouted Shen, who was getting more and more angrier.

"I said no, because I saw the evil in your hear Shen. If I taught you the secret arts, you'd be to deadly. I would not allow that." said Shifu, as the pain subsided in his shoulder.

"Liar! Admit it Shifu, you thought I was to weak. Everyone did. My parents, my nanny, my people all thought I was too weak. Well, now look who is weak. I have an army at my disposal, your students are fighting my best men, and the mighty 'Grandmaster Shifu' is wounded from my blade." Shen let out a devious, smug chuckle. But Shifu shook his head.

"You're wrong Shen. Your parents, did not think you were weak. They just wanted to help you. They wanted you to be a better man, a wiser man. I saw the evil in your eyes. I would not allow someone with evil intentions, learn the deadly art of Kung Fu."

An evil smile, slowly etched its way onto Shens face. He was about to hit the red panda hard. "Funny, that's not what I heard. Tell me ..." Shens eyelids closed halfway, glaring at Shifu. "How is Tai Lung doing?"

Shifu had heard enough. He dashed towards Shen, jumped up and tried to kick him in the chest. Shen used the flat side of his blade to block the kick, but Shifu flipped over the blade and delivered the kick to Shens face. The Peacock staggered back, but swiftly spun around and used his train to smack Shifu away. While Shifu was in the air, Wello used her blowgun to fire some more paralyzing darts at him. Shifu saw them coming and dodged them all. Shifu was so distracted by the darts, that he never noticed Shen jump up above him and kick him to the ground. Shifu lay on the ground, with Shens metal talons pressing down onto his head and his arm. Shifu could feel the sharp razor tips seep their way into his skin.

"Tell me, old man" said Shen as he pressed down more on Shifus head. "How did it feel to train a great warrior, only for him to be one of the most hated killers in all of Chinas history?"

Shifu wanted nothing more than to shut this bird up, and he knew how. Shen wanted to play mind games, then they would play mind games.

"You're right. I trained Tai Lung to be the best, and it was my pride that changed him into what he had become. But what about you Shen?"

"What?" asked a confused Peacock.

"I mean, I'm sure your parents didn't push you to be a killer."

"Silence!"

"They were good people, and you were a little cast away"

"How dare y-"

"Or maybe they weren't so good people"

"Don't you dare talk about my -"

Shen could feel himself shake with anger. Wello felt sorry for her lover as her grip tightened on her sword.

"I may have caused my son to become a criminal. But you Shen, I wonder where your parents went so wrong."

Shen had now lost it. He raised his foot that was on Shifu's head and brought it back down, aiming to stab him. However, this is what Shifu had wanted. As the foot left his head, he rolled to one side, grabbed his cane and smacked the Peacock on the side of the head with it. Shen staggered backwards towards Wello, who helped him regain his balance. Shifu rolled away, giving himself a good distance between his attackers.

"Your parents, did nothing wrong Shen. They loved you. Everything that has happened to you: Your exile, your defeat, your scar. EVERYTHING, is all your fault. Worse still, everything you do, disgraces their memory."

Wello let out a small breath of shock, as she looked at Shen. Said peacock, had his eyes closed. His fist was trembling with anger, and a small tear was trickling down his face.

"You …"

Shen opened his eyes to face Shifu. Shifu was brave, but that stare sent a chill down his spine. The red orbs staring at him, piercing through his soul, was filled with hate.

"Will regret, those words!"

With that the two birds dashed towards Shifu, side by side, they swung their swords at Shifu and …

_SLASH!_

Razorbeak had managed to land a lucky scratch on Tigress's shoulder. Normally she would have destroyed the bird, but she was busy frantically fighting of numerous bandits, while looking for Po. Monkey, Mantis and Viper were in the same predicament, no matter how many bandits they took down, more showed up, and the masters were starting to get tired.

"Wheres Po?" asked Tigress who punched a wolf in the face.

"I don't know, he sorta disappeared" replied Monkey, as he blocked multiple punches.

"He has to be here somewhere, no one that big can just vanish" Mantis added in, knocking out two croc bandits.

"We can't keep this – UGH." Viper was cut of by Razorbeak as he landed on her, trapping her in his talons. Viper squirmed to break free but Razorbeak had her pinned down. Viper could do nothing but watch as the Eagle lunged for her throat with his beak. The impact would have killed her, but, luckily for her, Mantis dealt a swift kick to the birds head, sending him flying towards a tree.

"Hey buzzard beak, don't you know how to treat a lady?" said Mantis, who also sent a small wink towards Viper. The snake blushed slightly at Mantis, but quickly shook herself out of it when more bandits turned up. Viper lunged herself towards the oncoming foes, and smacked the one in the front with her tail, knocking him over, and in a domino effect, knocked them all over.

Tigress and Monkey were standing back to back, they were surrounded by enemies. They needed to regroup with Mantis and Viper, urgently.

"Monkey. Sequence 52"

"Gotcha Tigress"

With that, the two masters wrapped the ends of their tails together and ran towards their comrades. Their tail, now acted as a clothesline, tripping over multiple enemies at once. After a good dash, they four masters were now reunited, but much to their dismay,more bandits had appeared. Everyone let out a small grunt, as they prepared themselves for another onslaught.

_CRA-ACK!_

Went one of Po's ribs as he landed on the ground. Po didn't see a certain kick coming, and now he was paying for it. As he landed on the mud, he felt one of his rib break. It was a burning pain that he had never felt before. Po barely had time to react however, as Razputin jumped beside his head, and upon landing, knelt down and drove one of his knees into Po's face, right on the temple. Blood began to pour from the Pandas mouth and nose. To say that Po had a headache would be an understatement. Po was close to blacking out, but he knew he had to focus, if he lost, he and all his friends would die. As Razputin grinned at the damage he had just caused, Po used his free hand to pick up some mud, and threw it at the bears eye. Razputin shot back up, wiping the mud from his eye.

Po knew what he had to do if he was going to win. Po got back up and, while Razputin was removing the mud, got into his Inner Peace stance. Once Razputin could see again, he charged towards Po, and sent a punch towards his head. However, for Po everything was in slow motion. Using his left hand, he sent the oncoming fist flying upwards and he dealt a punch to the bears diaphragm with his right. Razputin was in pain, but used his left hand to uppercut the Panda, but Po used his left hand to push the punch away, as he spun he dealt a kick to the bears stomach. Once Po finished his spin, and was facing his opponent once more, he delivered a flurry of punches to the bears chest and stomach. Razputin was amazed at the Pandas speed, but could do nothing to react. The punches were strong, fast and precise. Razputin could feel his organs ache from each punch. A sane man would be scared and worried, but for Razputin, this is what he wanted. Po ended his flurry of attacks with a double palm strike to the bears stomach. Po was now in position for his signature attack. The Panda, sucked in his butt cheeks, lunged his arms back, and sent his stomach outwards at full speed, sending his for flying towards a tree, and much to Po's surprise, Razputin hit the tree, broke it, and went right through it.

Everyone in the vicinity stopped for a moment to figure out what that noise was, but shrugged it of and continued their fight. The wolves who were made to witness the fight however, were dumbstruck. They thought that no one could beat Razputin. Po came out of his Inner Peace stance, feeling good about himself. He had kept his promise, he had made his suffer for what he did to Tigress, he had won.

Or so he thought.

Po heard a noise, and turned around to see what it was, and what he saw, he did not expect. The tree that was just broken, had just been flung at him at great speed and force. Po didn't have time to react as the tree smacked him in the stomach and chest, cracking a few more ribs and knocking him back to the ground, getting covered in more mud. Po was in agony, but managed to look at who threw the tree. To his, and the wolves surprise, Razputin was still standing. His face was covered in blood spatters, his coat was torn in multiple places, but his eye, his eye was full of pure rage. "Inner Peace? Ha, an interesting technique, but lets see how you like the power of 'Pure Rage'"

As Razputin finished his words, he let out a terrifying roar, that everyone heard. All who heard it, froze in place. Even Tigress. This was a roar she had never heard before. It sounded strong, angry, and whoever did it, had the intent of murder. Razputin dashed towards Po, at an alarming speed. Po didn't have time to get up as Razputing dealt an uppercut to Po, sending him into the air, but before he got far, Razputin grabbed him by the foot, pulled him back, and rammed his fist into his stomach.

Po had felt his punches before, and they were nothing like this. It was faster and much, much stronger. As the blow connected, blood began to spurt from his mouth uncontrollably. Po was officially afraid. Razputin grabbed Po by his chest, and threw him head first into a nearby tree. Po slumped down to the ground, resting his back on the tree, but Razputin never gave him a chance to breathe. He sprinted towards him, and punched the Panda in the nose, smacking the back of his head on the tree, and much to Po's displeasure, the tree broke, and he went through it.

Po was barely able to stand back up. His bones ached, and blood was streaming down his face. In that moment, everything froze still. He could individually count the raindrops as they stood still. The leaves that were rustling, stopped. In the distance, through the trees, Po could see his four friends, fending of numerous bandits. He looked over to his friends. Mantis, the joker. Viper, who was like a sister. Monkey, who was like a brother. Tigress.

Tigress...

There was so many things he had wanted to tell her, but this feeling that Po had could seriously hinder that.

Po knew why this was happening to him, why time stood still, why he was taking everything in.

He was going to die.

A tear left his eye, as this realization came to his head, he was going to die, but he would die as a warrior. He would honor the title that Oogway bestowed upon him, the title that his Master and his friends respected. He would fight for them.

With new found ambition, Po turned to face his attacker, who lunged himself towards him. Po sent his right fist back, as time began to flow once more.

_SMACK!_

Shen smacked against the door, from Shifus punch. Wello swung her sword low, trying to cut of his legs, but Shifu jumped and avoided them. The Grandmaster spun in the air, and dive kicked his way to the swan, but Wello opened her umbrella, shielding her from the attack. Shifu flipped back onto the floor, but as he landed, he felt his left arm go slightly numb. The paralyzing poison was starting to take affect. He had to finish this now. Quickly, he jerked his body out of the numbness and jumped onto Wello's sword as she lunged it at him. Running on the Swans blade, Shifu kicked the lady in the face, knocking her into a pillar. Unbeknownst to him though, Shen had recovered, and activated the rope device in his lance. Shen threw the metal part of his lance towards Shifu, at an alarming speed. Shifu dodged it, but it still managed to grave his waist.

Shen didn't give Shifu any time to recover. He moved the handle, so the long rope wrapped itself around Shifu. With a mighty pull, Shifu flew towards Shen, who grabbed him by the head, and slammed him face first into the door.

As Shifu slumped onto the floor, Shen pulled out his rope once again, and held it in both his hands. The next thing Shifu knew, the rope was wrapped around his neck, as Shen chocked the life out of him.

Shifu tried to tear away at the rope and hit Shen, but he was to weak and the poison was taking its toll. As his vision became more black and blurry, his whole life flashed before his eyes. His childhood, his parents, meeting Master Oogway, becoming a Master, finding Tai Lung, raising him … and losing him.

His mind swiftly went onto his daughter, Tigress. He felt a lump in his throat when he thought or even said that word, 'daughter'. If Shifu had one single regret, it was that he had never really treated her as his daughter, but just another student. He wanted to love her, to show her how much he cared, but his previous failure with Tai Lung prevented him from doing so, and he hated himself for it. Then there was Po, the Panda he treated like dirt when he arrived, but amazingly brought peace to the Valley, China and himself. Aside from Tigress, he had never felt so proud in his life.

All the things that was yet to be said, all that was still to be done. He would do those things. He refused to die here. He managed to get back onto his feet at try once more to break free of the ropes, but Shen would not allow him. He tightened the rope around Shifus neck. Shen noticed that some bruising was starting to form, this brought a sadistic smile to his face.

Shifu tried with all his might, but once again failed. As his world grew darker, one last person crossed his mind. One he had not seen in years. His closest friend, besides Oogway. Someone that he missed with all his heart. The one, who had his heart, eternally, even in death. Master Jiao. This name ran through Shifus mind, as his world became black.

Suddenly, the grip on his neck was released and he was able to breath. He fell to the floor, clutching at his neck, gasping for air. He felt a strong grip on his foot as he was dragged outside the Palace. Shen dragged him to the edge of the stairs, overlooking the Valley. He picked up the red panda by his head, and forced him to look at the Valley.

"Look Shifu, look at what I've done" whispered Shen into Shifus ear. Slowly, Shifu's eyes began to open, and the sight he saw made him sick. He saw in the distance that the villagers had escaped, but as he surveyed the valley, he learned that not all of them did. Shens whole army now occupied the Valley, along with Shens weapons. Many of the houses, along with the hospital, the school and Noodle Shop was set on fire. Rubble filled the street, and much to Shifus horror, so did the remains of a few villagers.

Shifu knew many of these villagers. Some were old, some had just become parents, some were pregnant and he even saw a few corpses that belonged to children. One of the wolves was tearing apart one of the corpses with his teeth, the blood pouring all over his face, as he consumed the small child. The red panda could feel the tears on his face.

"Y-you said you would let them live" said Shifu weakly.

"I lied" replied Shen, who still had the sadistic smile on his face.

"You … evil … bastard! Ill … kill you … for this!" said Shifu between breaths, his voice getting slightly stronger.

"Hmhmhmhm, but the best is yet to come. Bring it up!"

With that order, some of the bandits brought up a cannon and two catapults, and placed them in front of the palace. "You know Shifu, I do enjoy a good hunt" said Shen, maliciously. "Take aim"

The bandits began to load the catapult with boulders, and loaded the cannon with an ordinary cannonball. Shifu had to stop them from killing the villagers. With all his might, he broke free of Shen grip, and ran towards the contraptions, but Shen stopped him but throwing one of his knives at Shifus ankle. Shifu fell to the floor in agony as Shen gave his order, "Fire!".

Shifu could only watch as the cannonball and the boulders, flew towards the fleeing villagers. He could not see if they had been hurt, or even hit, but he heard the loud explosion. The thought of all those injured people, that HE had failed, tore him apart. Shifu was diving into madness, though they weren't present, he could hear in his mind, the screams of women and children, burning and dying. All of this was Shens fault, he would make him pay. Shifu glared at the Peacock, but Shen only laughed and pointed his lance towards Thunder Plains.

"You will want to stay alive to see this one Shifu, this is my grande finale."

Unable to move, or act, Shifu could only lay there and wait to see what Shen was talking about.

Back at Thunder Plains, Tigress and the others were still fending of bandits, but were becoming very tired. In the distance, Po was still fighting Razputin, but was losing.

Tigress had just punched a wolf in the face, knocking him out. Razorbeak saw this as an opportune moment. The eagle dove in and dug his talons into Tigress's shoulders. Tigress could feel the sharp claws dig into her bone. Tigress could not bear the pain and let out a loud scream of agony.

Po heard the scream and turned to see Tigress in the distance. Po was about to run to save her, but before he could react, Razputin appeared behind him and shouted in his ear, "You should never turn your back to your enemy in a fight!"

The next thing Po felt was Razputins sharp claws dig into his shoulders, as he picked him up and threw him towards the cliff. Po, let out a yelp of pain and fear as he flew towards the cliff, however, he managed to stop himself a few inches from the edge, any closer and he would fall.

Tigress knocked Razorbeak of her back when she heard Po scream. "Po?" Frantically, Tigress looked in the direction that the scream had come from. There she saw Po and the Bear that attacked her. "Viper! It's that bear, he's attacking Po"

"Oh crap. Tigress, you better go help him. We can handle it from here" ordered Viper

"WHAT! No we cant!" shouted Mantis who was surrounded by bandits, but Viper still managed to whack him with the back of her tail. "I mean , uh, yeah, go help him"

With that, Tigress stormed past multiple bandits and was about to reach the two, when all of a sudden, out from the trees came a giant Cobra, that wrapped himself around her body and neck.

"Sorry sweetheart, invitation only" said Cobra who tightened his grip on Tigress. She couldn't move, and all she could do was watch as Po and Razputin continued their fight.

Razputin ran towards Po, but the Panda rolled to one side. Both warriors had to be careful, they were just a few inches away from the edge of the cliff. Razputin raised his hands and tried to grab Po, but Po grabbed his hands in retaliation. The two bears, held onto each others hands, as their fingers interlocked as they began to push each other back. Razputin had the advantage, in 'rage mode' he was stronger, and Po had serious damage dealt to his hand and arms. As they both pushed back at each other, Razputin felt that he wasn't getting the full deal, so decided to bait the Panda.

"Once I kill you Panda, I will go over there and finish the job with the Tiger"

Po shot a look of pure hatred to the bear, as he grit his teeth in frustration.

"But I wont make it a quick death, no. First I'll have some fun with her. It had been a long time since I have had a woman."

Po could feel his arm tense up and his blood boil.

"And once I am done, I will show her, your mangled corpse as I beat her to death with my bear hands"

Razputin grinned at the Panda, who was now shaking with anger.

"Why dont you…."

Po grit his teeth, preparing to shout the next few words.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Po's eyes became white and blank, just like Razputins. He had lost it, he was now acting upon pure killer instinct. He pushed forwards on Razputins hands, as the floor below them began to crack. Razputin was over joyed to see this new challenge, and let out a roar right in front of Po's face, but to everyone's surprise, Po roared back.

Tigress had never heard Po roar before, it was scary, it sent a chill down her spine. The two warriors, were face to face, roaring at one another, as they gripped tighter on each others hands, pushing each other, hoping that the other would fall.

Tigress had to get over their quick. She called out to her fellow warriors, who noticed her predicament. Mantis, who had just broken free of a grip, was the first to act.

"Hey buddy, hands off" shouted Mantis as he jumped towards the Cobra. Mantis used his pincers to slash the Cobras throat, killing him instantaneously. "Well, that was easy, for a change. Go, help Po"

Tigress gave her thanks and nodded.

As she ran of to help Po, Viper and the others were left with a seemingly endless supply of bandits. They fought hard, they fought together, but in time, they were knocked out, or passed out from exhaustion.

Tigress sprinted towards Po, calling out him name.

"PO!"

Po heard Tigress's voice.

He turned his head to see her coming.

Po's eyes went from blank white, to the beautiful Jade Green that he was born with. Unfortunately, the loss of rage gave Razputin the final egde.

Razputin pushed down on Po's arms and dislocated them. Po nearly passed out from the pain, but was left little time, as Razputin dove in and bit him on his shoulder. Po yelled in agony, and as a reflex, used his free hand to smack the bear in the side of the head. The sudden force from the bears actions caused the ground to crack one last time. The ground below them started to give way and slide down the cliff. When Po's hit made contact with Razputins head, The black bear slipped of the edge of the cliff, but he did not let go of Po's hand or his grip on Po's shoulder with his teeth.

Everything went in slow motion for Tigress, as she watched the one she loved fall over the edge of the cliff. She sprinted towards the edge, sending out her hand for Po. Po had managed to get one of his hands free from Razputins grip.

Tigress dove onto the mud, and slid towards the edge of the cliff. As quick as lightning, she reached out her hand to Po, looking at him with tears in her eyes. Po reached out as much as he could for her hand, never letting his eyes wonder away from hers. Po and Tigress's hands were just an inch away...

...But she was to late.

Po and Razputin continued to fall. Tigress could only watch in horror as the two continued their fight in midair. Razputin scraped Po against the wall of the cliff as they both fell into the rapid river. As they hit the water, Tigress watched anxiously for any signs of life. Po raised his head above the water, much to Tigress's joy, but was quickly brought back down by Razputin who had a firm grip on him. Tigress knew what was going to happen, she didn't want to look, but she had to. She prayed that a miracle would happen and somehow Po would be able to save himself. As the two bears reached the top of the waterfall, Po, for one last time, looked to Tigress. He saw the pain in her eyes, and the sadness in her tears. Tonight was suppose to be the night he told her he loved her. Tonight was suppose to be perfect. Tonight was suppose to be the beginning of their lives, but, sadly, it was the end. He felt like dirt, after he had promised to her that he would not die, he was once again, dying before her eyes.

Tigress felt her heart race, and the tears flow from her eyes as she watched the Panda she loved, getting closer to his death. She wanted to shout something, anything, but she couldn't move, her whole body was in shock. Then she saw Po say something, she couldn't hear what it was, but from reading his mouth movement, she knew what he had said.

"I love you"

Po let out one final tear as the Green and Yellow eyes met for the last time. The moment was cut short by Razputin coming up for air, and sinking his teeth back into Po's shoulder. The two warriors continued their fight as they both went over the edge of the waterfall.

Over the edge...

skimming the water...

into the mist...

and then nothing.

Nothing.

Tigress could see nothing else. No Panda, no bear, nothing. She witnessed the once she loved, die. Tigress felt numb all over her body, she didn't even feel one of the wolves club her on the back of her head, knocking her out.

As Tigress lay there, unconscious, her mind trailing of to the horror she had just witnessed, one of the wolves tied her up and threw her next to her comrades who had also been captured.

"Tigress!" said a concerned Viper. "What have you done to her? Where is Po?"

The wolf simply replied by putting his thumb onto one side of his neck and drew the imaginary dead line across it. Mantis, Monkey and Viper couldn't believe it. Po was gone. They had failed.

One of the wolves, stuck a firework into the ground and began to light it.

The firework took of, and exploded high in the sky. In the distance, Shen and the rest of his army saw this sign. Shifu was confused by this, but Shen reveled in it as he laughed uncontrollably.

"Whats so funny, Shen?"

Shen managed to control his laughter, and without even turning to face Shifu, he replied.

"Your students have been captured, and your precious 'Dragon Warrior' … is dead!"

The last two words hit Shifu hard. So much death had occurred tonight, surely one of his greatest students, someone he respected fully, could not be dead.

"YOU LIE!" shouted Shifu, refusing to believe him.

Shen turned slowly, to face him. The malicious smile still on his face. He said, in soft, soothing, evil tone. "Do I?"

Shen let out a small chuckle that turned into a deranged laugh of insanity. Wello and the rest of the army, joined in on this laugh, celebrating their victory. Shifu, in a fit of rage, gathered all the strength he had, and ran towards Shen. Shen twirled and tripped him up with his train. He then delivered a strong kick to the red panda, sending him into the air. Shen unleashed the mechanism in his lance, and sent the metal sword flying into the air. Shen used his skills, to wrap the rope around Shifus neck, and brought Shifu towards him. While he was approaching at full speed, Shen bought out one of his feather knives from his robe, and when Shifu was close enough, stabbed him in the stomach.

Shifu, who was in shock, rested his head on Shen shoulder, as blood began to pour from his wound, onto his robe and the floor below him. Shen leaned in, and whispered into his ear.

"Now … no one can stop me."

Shen removed the knife from Shifus stomach and dropped him to the floor. Shifu watched as the blood flowed from him, all over the floor. Everything he held dear, everything he worked to achieve had been destroyed.

Shen placed his foot on Shifus head and raised his wings up into the sky. The whole army watched in fear and respect, as a bolt of lightning struck the ground right behind Shen. Shen was breathing heavily, his blood red eyes, overseeing all he now controlled.

Shen had won.

**A/N: … I am so sad right now, I can't even make a lame joke. Review, and let me know what you think. I'll update asap, this story is FAR from over.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm glad that so many people got so emotional on the previous chapter. You all really want to know what happens? Okay, here it is. Warning: Contains gore, violence and bad language. Seriously, by now, you should ALL know this :)**

**Chapter 9: Tactical Retreat**

Tigress slowly opened her eyes as she woke up. Her head was throbbing, her body was aching and she was exhausted. Tigress tried to move, but couldn't. Upon further inspection, she noticed that she was tied up, pretty tightly, with rope. Her knees burnt, because she was being dragged by two wolves through the street. The next sight that Tigress saw horrified her. The Valley, her home, was ruined. Buildings were either destroyed or burning. The smell of burning rubble and bodies filled the air, adding to the poisonous black smoke. The air traveled down the Tigers lungs and she nearly gagged. To her left and to her right, were her friends: Monkey, Mantis and Viper, who were also tied up and being dragged, although they tied Mantis to Viper.

Tigress was relieved to see that her friends were alive, but for the life of her she couldn't see Po. It took her a full minute until the memories came flushing back into her head. The fight, the bear, the cliff and the waterfall. Everything came back to her in that second. Tigress let a tear fall from her eye, as she let out a small whimper, catching the attention of Tigress.

"Tigress, are you okay?" asked the concerned snake.

Tigress was silent for a minute, the thoughts she just had still running through her mind.

"Tigress?" the concerned snake asked again.

The broken Tiger turned her head to face her dearest friend, the tears now flowing down her face. Viper had seen this look once before, back in Gongmen City.

"...Po...he's...he's...gone..." whimpered Tigress between breaths. Seeing her friend in this much pain, and knowing that another close friend has died, brought great pain to her heart.

As the wolves dragged the four masters up the thousand stairs, Tigress's knees ached as they hit the stone of every stair. The pain, along with her previous wounds, was unbearable. Normally, Tigress would have easily broken out of these ropes, but, after the beating she took, both physically and mentally, she was drained.

After what seemed like eternity, the wolves and the four masters reached the top of the stairs. Tigress kept her head hanging low, the sadness of the previous event still hitting her hard, but her comrades held their heads high, and at the same time let out a gasp of shock, disbelief and fear.

Curious to see what her friends were so stunned at, Tigress slowly raised her head. The sight she saw, she couldn't believe. Looking from the ground up, as Tigress raised her head, she saw a familiar pair of metal talons, attached to a skinny pair of legs, followed by a long white robe, with a lance sticking out of one of the arms. As she raised her head more and more, her mind realized who this was and her eyes widened more and more. Finally, they met face to face. The white Peacock, the killer of many, that one Po had defeated was standing right in front of her. Tigress's shocked eyes, turned to those of anger.

"No … NO! HE KILLED YOU. YOUR DEAD!" screamed Tigress, who tried to get up, but the wolves brought her down to her knees.

"That seems to be such a popular opinion today" mocked Shen, as he nodded to one of the wolves, who dragged Crane, who was tied up since the paralysis poison wore of, and Shifu, who was gushing blood from his stomach. Crane was dumped next to his comrades, and Shifu was placed right in front of Shen. The five masters were in a perfect line, all of them tied down and held down by wolves. All facing Shen.

Tigress never took her eyes of her fallen master. First Po and now her master and father. This was becoming all to much for her. Inch by inch, Tigress could feel her spirit fade away more and more. This night was suppose to be heaven, but instead it was hell.

"Where is Razputin and Cobra?"

"Cobra was killed by the insect sir, and Razputin died killing the Panda."

"Such a shame" said the Peacock, sarcastically. "Oh well, that's two bears out of my life for good."

Tigress's anger flared up in an instant.

"You miserable fucking coward. You had to get someone else to do your dirty work for you huh? To scared to fight Po by yourself?"

Shen laughed at this outburst.

"Oh, please, enough with your bravado. Insult me all you want, scream all you want, I still won. The panda is dead, that is all that matters to me. Did you hear that, you old fool" Shen kicked Shifu, who let out a small grunt. "Your precious Panda is gone. How did they die exactly" questioned Shen

"They - "

"They fell off a waterfall" said Tigress interrupting the wolf. Tigress said it loud enough so everyone could hear, especially Shifu. "Po fought with honor and pride, until his last breath, something you will never experience you son of bitch"

Lightning struck as Shen narrowed his eyes devilishly at the Tiger before him. He quickly turned however, once he heard Shifu let out a small chuckle. He walked over to him, and dealt an even harder kick. "He may have died with honor, but he is still dead"

Wello walked up to Shen, holding her umbrella, keeping it above her to shield her from the rain. Shen got under the umbrella with his lover as she took his hand and walked over to the five.

"Last time, I didn't have a chance to properly meet you all. I've had three whole months to learn everything I could about you. The Furious Five. A group of the greatest Kung Fu Warriors in China."

Shen had done his homework. Through his spies, and idle gossip, he had learned a lot about his enemies. He glanced at each of the five masters. Thinking on which one to start with.

"Master Crane. A fellow bird warrior, a rare find in China" said Shen to the avian.

"Ugh...thanks?" said a rather confused Crane

"And yet, you are so weak and pathetic, that you couldn't even get a date for the most romantic night of the year"

"Hey! That's - "

"And you always get left behind on missions, just like this one. Really, who needs you?"

"..."

Shen shot a look of satisfaction to his lover as he walked over to the next master. Like he did to Shifu, he wanted to hurt these warriors mentally, just like they hurt him.

"Master Monkey. The weapons expert. Quick and precise, but also a joker, a prankster, someone no one could ever want as a friend, companion … or a son"

"You bastard!" replied Monkey

"Yes … yes. I know all about how your father disowned you, thinking you were nothing but a failure. Such a shame."

Shen said those last few words with enough sarcasm that Monkey lowered his head in defeat, holding back the tears of shame.

"Ah, the little Master Mantis. Quick and agi -"

"Get it over with buzzard beak, you cant phase me"

"Oh, cant I?"

"No, of course not, nothing really bothers me"

"We shall see." Shens eyes went from Mantis to Viper, who he was tied to.

"Hello, Master Viper"

"Yuck, look guys, Shens face is peeling"

Viper gestured her head at Shen burnt face. The two masters that Shen had wounded mentally, raised their head and let out a small chuckle at Vipers joke.

"Gee, I guess your not so good looking to the rest of your species, huh?"

Viper giggled with glee as did Mantis, Monkey and Crane, but Shen glared at her, his smile never leaving his face.

"Hmhmhm, I guess so, but then again. You would know all about that wouldn't you?"

"Huh?" said Viper who stopped laughing along with the others. Aside from Viper, they knew what was coming. Everyone felt angry about what Shen was going to do, but was powerless to stop him.

"I mean, how often is it that you meet a venomous snake, who cant produce venom? I heard about how your father was disappointed about your birth"

"...No" said Viper who crumbled at each word.

"Stop it!" shouted Mantis

"Wouldn't that make you … a freak?"

"Leave her alone!" shouted Crane

"An outcast?"

"That's enough!" shouted Monkey

"No, wait, I have it. An abomination, a disgrace, a blot on this world that needs to be wiped out!" Shen shouted all these names into the snakes face. With every insult, Vipers will broke more and more. As she began to cry, the tears fell from her eyes onto Mantis, who hated to see her cry. When she was sad, he was sad. The fellow masters were furious with Shen, but felt so downhearted by their female companion crying. They also felt like crying. Shen knew he had beaten them, and now he was rubbing salt on the wounds, making them miserable.

"Ah, now this one, I am going to enjoy. Hello once again, Master Tigress"

Shifu jerked at the call of his daughters name, letting out a bunch of mumbled words.

"L-leave...her..al...o..n..e" said Shifu, barely.

Tigress, who was still in a trance, traumatized by the events of the night, did not respond. All she had witnessed: the one she loved dying before her eyes, her home in ruin, and her father, bleeding to death. When Shen called out her name louder, she snapped out of it, and as quick as a flash, raised her head to the bird, with a look of murder on her face.

"What do you want?" questioned Tigress

"You are the leader of these morons aren't you?"

"I don't know about morons, but I am the leader of the furious five, my friends"

"Hmph, still so full of pride and courage. Your past was a total mystery to me. It took forever for my spies to figure it out."

"Hmph, sorry that I'm not so sociable as the others"

"Oh, but they found something that interested me greatly"

"What did they find? A very good doctor?"

Tigress let out a small smirk to the peacock. Out of the corner of the wolf pack, came out a storming old turtle.

"Are you saying I'm a bad doctor? I'd like to see you do a better job than -"

"Quiet down Tao, your ruining my fun!" ordered Shen. Tao stopped in his tracks as Shen turned to face the female Tiger who was on her knees.

"Hmhmhm, aw look, youve upset my doctor. No, my spies informed me, on what a real _monster _you really are."

Shen leaned in a whispered, maliciously that one word, that sent a chill down her spine. Somehow, he had learned about the Bao Gu, the terrible orphanage. He really did do his homework.

"Yes, they told me how you were a freak, a monster, an outcast amongst your fellow orphans. Then you were adopted by a man..." Shen turned to Shifu, and said the next few words loud enough so he could hear. "...who doesn't even love you."

"NO!..." shouted Shifu with as much energy as he could. He was quickly cut of by Shen, who continued his assault.

"You know, my dear, you are nothing more than a replacement. A second attempt. That old fool had failed as a father with the first child. Your just a meager replacement for the son he lost."

Tigress began to breathe heavily as she fought hard to hold back the tears and rage in her body. If she acted out, all of her friends, including her, would be easily killed.

"To him, you are nothing more than a mere project. A project, that failed."

Shen took a few steps back, and looked towards the five masters.

"How could any of you hope to defeat me? If it wasn't for the Panda, you would all be various chunks of meat in Gongmen harbor. None of you can stop me. You are are all pathetic, broken warriors. There is no place in MY world for people like you"

The five had been dealt a serious blow to their pride and ego. In a mere matter of minutes, Shen had tore each of these warriors apart, piece by piece. Shen and Wello turned their backs to the masters and began to walk away.

"Wait!" said Tigress, which stunned all nearby. "What about you?"

"Me? What about me?"

"You pointed out our flaws, lets point out yours!"

The rest of the five looked at Tigress with awe, but quickly averted their eyes towards Shen, each of them with a cocky grin.

"You were exiled right? Why? Because your parents got sick of you?" blurted out Tigress. With the mention of his parents, Shen became instantly angry.

"I bet you cried like a baby for all those years" added Mantis

"What mother and father could ever love an ugly brat like you" Monkey added

Shens breathing became heavy as he turned a furious shade of red. Wello gripped onto his wing, trying to offer him support.

"I said it before, I'll say it again. Look at that face, its disgusting" added Viper.

"Loser"

"Psycho"

"Maniac"

"Exile"

"Mamma's boy"

Insult after insult after insult. More and more came, Shen tried his best to cut in, but they were relentless. Shen could feel his blood boil and his fist clench up so much, that he almost drew blood. All the wolves in the vicinity, who could hear their conversation, began to panic. They all saw that someone was about to blow their top.

"...Face it Shen, no one on this planet, will ever love you!" shouted Tigress at the top of her lungs. Finally, the five stopped, all of them feeling a bit better. They all looked onwards at the crushed Peacock. Shen, like most Peacocks, were prideful creatures, and although he knew they were just trying to bait him, he couldn't help but feel that it was all true.

Suddenly, the grip on Shens wing was gone, and Tigress was face to face with a long thin sword, which was being held by a very, VERY, pissed of swan.

"You … know nothing about him" said Wello, who was shaking with anger over that last insult. The rest of the five, were amazed at how fast the Swan had reacted. Their laughter and joy at crushing Shen was now gone. Now, they were filled with fear for their friend. This swan looked like someone you did not want to cross. Tigress was about to say something, but was cut of by Wello. Tigress could feel this Swan drill into her eyes, reading her emotions.

"You saw it happen didn't you? You saw the Panda fall."

Tigress remained silent as the sword in front of her got ever so closer.

"I remember the way you two danced. It was beautiful"

Tigress turned her head away slightly, the memory of that dance made her heart ache for the Panda that was no longer with them. Wello saw the pain in her eyes, and read it like you would read a book. Out of nowhere, Wello let out a loud gasp, which caught the attention of all those in the vicinity. Whatever Wello had discovered, was sure to be interesting to listen to.

"...You loved him … didn't you?"

Tigress immediately looked at Wello, eye to eye. Mentioning Po caught her attention. The rest of the five looked at the two females, as they stared each other down.

"You loved him, and you watched him die"

Tigress grit her teeth down, trying her best not to endanger her friends or master any further. Wello read more into her eyes, leaning in closer, keeping her blade steady. Shen watched in anticipation. Wello was many things, but, above all else, she knew how to be cruel.

"...Oh, and he didn't know..."

Tigress's eyes widened as she let out a small tear. Wello leaned in even more, and with a sense of pride and victory, dealt the final blow the Tigress's will.

"...How delightful."

Tigress lowered her head down in defeat and let the tears flow from her eyes. She cried and sobbed harder than she had ever done in the past. Shifu and the rest of the five, felt Tigress's pain. In all his life, Shifu had never heard his daughter this upset. All he wanted to do was hug her, and kill Shen for what he has done, but lacked the strength to do it. Viper, although tied down, scooted over towards Tigress and tried her best to comfort her. Everyone knew how Tigress felt for Po, and how Po felt for Tigress. They knew how important this night was for them. Tigress continued to cry as Shen raised his head up high and began to laugh at the pitiful Tiger in front of him. Wello sheathed her sword and walked back to her lover, opening her umbrella once more. She leaned in and gave Shen a kiss on the cheek. Shen smiled at the devilish woman he loved so much.

Viper, seeing that Tigress was unable to talk, decided to be the voice of the group. Shen and his minions were to busy being smug that they never noticed Vipers tail slide its way into Tigress's pocket, reaching in for a certain item. Tigress, along with the rest of the five noticed this action, and had to help.

"So, what's going to happen now" questioned Viper.

"With the Panda gone, and all of you within my possession, no one will be able to stand up to me. As my army and I march across China, thousands will join our cause. Soon we will have enough men to rival the imperial army, and with my inventions: the catapult, my bombs, my cannons, they will be trodden underfoot. Oh, and I must go fishing at one point. See if I can catch a Panda, I could use a new rug"

Tigress growled at this remark, but for now, kept her cool.

"You really think you'll get away with this?" asked Crane, stalling for time.

"The Panda is dead, and soon you will join him" snapped Wello

"You may kill us, but there will always be someone to stop people like you" said Tigress.

"We shall see … well, you wont. Hmhmhm. Take aim"

A few of the wolves began to aim the cannon towards the five. Viper began to panic, and rustled through Tigress's pocket more and more.

"Fire!"

The wolves finished aiming the cannon, and lit the very short fuse. Just as it was lit, Viper found what she was looking for. Quickly she pulled it out and shouted...

"Tactic 19!"

With that, Viper threw a smoke pellet at the floor below her, and another one at Shifu. The Five and Shifu closed their eyes as the smoke filled the air. Shen and his minions were blinded by the smoke. Using whatever strength they could find, the Five broke the ropes and dashed towards Shifu. The cannon fired, and the Five were barely able to dodge the cannonball. Instead of running towards Shifu, Tigress ran towards one of the wolves, and grabbed his dagger and two shuriken. As Tigress turned and raced towards her fallen Master, she threw the two shuriken at Shen. Wello heard them coming however, and used her umbrella to deflect them away from them. The Five picked up Shifu and ran towards the exit of the Jade Palace.

"Now what do we do?" questioned Monkey.

"We've got to get out of here" ordered Tigress, trying to focus.

"How?" questioned Mantis.

Tigress looked for a way out, but with the bandits and thugs surrounding every exit to the Valley, Tigress could only see one possible way out.

"Get in the catapult"

"WHAT!" said everyone in unison.

"JUST DO IT!" shouted Tigress.

As quick as a flash, the Five hopped into the catapult. The smoke began to clear as Shen turned to face his prisoners climb into his creation.

"Don't just stand there you fools, GET THEM!" ordered Shen.

Numerous bandits ran towards the catapult, unsheathing their weapons. As Tigress got into the catapult, she threw the dagger at the rope holding the mechanism, and the next thing she knew, they were flying through the air at an alarming speed. Everyone gazed in awe as the flew through the air. Shen and Wello could hardly believe their eyes. Shen wasn't sure to either be angry they escaped, or to laugh at such a ridiculous idea.

The six masters clung onto each other as they shot towards the forest, where the rendezvous point was to be. Mantis held onto Viper, who held onto Monkey, who held onto Tigress who held onto Shifu and Crane. As they approached the ground, Crane began to fly, and let the group land on the ground safely. When they landed, they found themselves in a crater, which was made by Shens cannon. Much to their dismay, their was a bunch of organs lying all across the floor. Shifu, who was barely able to stay awake, was horrified. The shot that Shen had fired before had indeed hit. Tigress was still in shock from the events of the night, and this bloodbath wasn't helping, but she had to focus, she had to get her friends to safety. The rain made it very difficult, but after a minute or two, Tigress picked up the scent of noodles. Telling the others which direction they were in, the group ran towards the smell. Tigress held her dear father in her arms, pressing down on his wound to stop the bleeding.

The rain became more and more heavier, and the wind became more violent. Nature was not on their side. Shifu was slipping in and out of consciousness. Viper and Mantis clung onto Crane, for fear of being blown away. The night had been rough on everyone, and this run, was only making it rougher. Tigress did her best to stay focused, but the tears falling down her face betrayed her. In one night, she had almost lost everything. Her home, her love, and now her father was dying in her arms. This was to much to take.

After nearly a mile of running for their lives, they caught up with the rest of the Villagers. Everyone looked petrified, but slightly relieved to see the Masters. Those who weren't injured, rushed towards the six and began to treat their wounds. who was anxious to see his son, ran up towards Tigress.

"Hello Master Tigress. Where is Po? … Where is my son?"

Tigress couldn't answer. She simply looked at the old goose, with sorrow in her eyes. It didn't take long to put two and two together.

"...No...No...that...that can't be...Po can't be...HE JUST CAN'T!"

Everyone looked as the goose that lead them here, fell to his knees, mourning his son. All the villagers felt a twinge in their heart once they heard about Po's demise. It was a dark night for them all. wept, and wouldn't stop. Tigress, who felt his pain more than anyone, leaned in and hugged the old man. The two cried into each others shoulders, as the rest of the villagers set up camp for the night.

"Sir, give us the order and we will hunt them down" said Fang, who was bowing to his master for forgiveness. Shen let out a small chuckle and patted his right hand man on the shoulder. To say the least, Fang was confused.

"In this storm, you and your men would be ripped apart. Tell everyone to set up camp for tonight. Tomorrow, you and a group of men will find them and bring them to me. Hmhmhmhm, I may even join you. I always did love a good hunt." Shen let out a devious laugh, but was quickly cut of by Wello calling out his name. As he turned to face her, he saw why she wanted his attention. When Wello deflected the shuriken, one of them flew to the side and hit a certain old doctor, right in the throat.

"No..." muttered Shen, as he walked over to his oldest friend and tried to help him. Shen cradled Tao's head as the rain began to pour down harder. Shen pulled out the shuriken, and placed his wing on the wound. The two friends began to talk, keeping quiet so no one, except Wello, could hear.

"S...sorry master...i wasn't quick enough" muttered the old turtle.

"Oh, shut up you old fool." said Shen in an ordering tone, with a hint of worry. "It's just a scratch"

"Shen...out of the two of us, I'm the doctor." said Tao, letting out a hoarse laugh. "I...I'm going to die."

"Don't say that! You have traveled the world with me for thirty years. We are so close to victory, you will not give up on me now!" said Shen, who was slightly angry that someone he cared about was once again dying. Wello, who was more accustomed to death, felt sorry for her partner. She stood above the two, shielding them from the rain.

"Shen ..."

"Yes?"

"T-thank you"

"For what?"

Tao, slowly placed a smile on his face. A smile that Shen had never seen him make.

"Y...You took me under your wing. We were strangers, and yet you took care of me. I – I never told you, but I am grateful to you my boy."

Shen could feel Tao's pulse get weaker, and a few tears well up in his eyes.

"You are my greatest friend. Never … never give up your cause. We lost everything to the ignorant, the violent and the greedy..."

Tao raised his hand out to his friend. Shen slowly took the old turtles hand and showed that he was still there for him

"...but you, will get it back for us. Take back, what was stolen from you. Do you hear me?"

"...Yes...I do."

"Good...good..."

Everything went silent for a couple of seconds, even the raindrops weren't making any noise. Shen and Wello listened closely to their friends final words.

"Shen...i can see them...my wife...my child...I...I...I'm home...I'm home...I...m...h..o..m..."

Tao repeated those last two words, until he drew his last breath, and the grip he had on Shens wing faded away. Wello closed her eyes and bowed her head in respect to the old doctor she knew so well.

Shen just stood there. This was the second time someone close to him had died. He held onto the turtles hand, not wanting to let it go. Tao had treated his wounds countless times, offered words of wisdom, and was a dear friend.

"Yes...you are home"

Shen used his other hand, to close Tao's eyes. Slowly and carefully, Shen placed the turtles hand beside him, as he turned to face his whole army. Everyone looked at Shen. He looked perfectly calm, but Wello knew differently.

Shen was always able to show his anger, but when he became this angry, he didn't know how to show it. Killing, torturing, shouting and beating people up wouldn't help subside this anger.

"...Who threw that shuriken?" whispered Shen, in a creepy soft tone.

"...The Tiger." replied Wello, with a shaky voice.

Shen closed his eyes, as many ideas for retribution ran through his mind. Without turning to face him. He gave his orders to Fang. Shen spoke so softly and quietly, that it sent a chill down the poor wolfs spine.

"...Tomorrow...find them all...kill them all...but bring the Tiger..."

Shen suddenly opened his eyes. Wello and Fang saw that they were filled with utter rage and chaos. To say that Shen had the eyes of a demon, would be an understatement. In that split second, Shen looked like the devil himself.

"To me!"

Multiple bolts of lightning struck the area, almost hitting a few bandits. It was as if the chaos inside Shens heart and mind fueled the storms wrath. Shens anger and hatred had turned the Valley of Peace into the Valley of Chaos.

Meanwhile, miles away, deep in the forest...

The clouds were dark, blotting out the sky. The rain was heavy, wearing down on the weary villagers. Lightning struck, signaling ill omens to come. Everyone was silent, what words could be said? Everyone was scared.

The villagers from the Valley of Peace set up tents for the night around the fire, all of them wished this was a bad dream they could wake up from. Never had any of them witnessed such brutality.

Shifu and the Furious 5 set up separate tents around the villagers, in case of attackers. Shifu lay in his tent while Mantis tended to the wound deep within his Masters stomach. Monkey tended to the injured civilians, most of which were burn wounds or stab wounds. Crane circled the sky to see if there were any nearby enemies. Luckily there were none, yet. Viper just stood there looking over to her friend, not sure what to say or what to do. Viper had only seen her like this once, back in Gongmen City, when they were to be executed. She didn't speak, didn't eat, all she did was cry.

With nothing else to say, and the people needing her for help, Viper could only say one thing.

"Tigress … I'm sorry ..."

The lightning struck again as the rain got heavier. Those who had sense went into there tents.

...but not her

Tigress was sitting with her legs crossed, her hands on her lap and her eyes focused one one thing: The River. She never took her eyes of it. Why? Hope, plain and simple hope. Hope that he was …

Tigress felt something cold and wet run down her face

Though it was raining, it was impossible to hide the tears pouring from her face. Impossible to show the pain in her heart. '_You had your chance and you blew it_' Tigress grit her teeth as these thoughts rushed through her head.

'_You lost him once, and now he is gone forever_'

The tears grew heavier

'_What sort of leader are you?_'

Frantically she stood up and looked up and down the river for any signs of life

'_He's dead_'

Tigress clutched onto the letters that Po had given her all those years ago.

"No, I wont believe it" Tigress whispered to herself

She continued to look but just like every other time, she found nothing. Tigress fell to her knees and punched the earth with her free hand.

The tears poured heavier as the once proud, strong, female tiger lifted her head to the sky to face the heavens and whispered, ever so softly.

"Po...I'm sorry"

**A/N: Now, we are back where we started. Poor Tigress. Review and tell me what you think. Now you all know what happened, how will they get out of this mess? I'll update asap, so you can all find out. Show a little patience. Laters.**

**P.s. Oooh, wasn't that a bitchy moment between Tigress and Wello. Cat fight, no pun intended...sorta**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Just found out that this is the Chinese year of the Dragon. Good times. Anyway, here you go. Enjoy. Warning: this chapter contains sexual intentions … that's it? Pretty mild for a change.**

**Chapter 10: Discoveries **

Tigress stayed up for most of the night, keeping watch for enemies, and looking at the river for Po. The storm had died down a little, making it easier to look into the river. The rain had drenched her. She was freezing, but refused to move from that position. The hope that Po was somehow alive, drove her to continue. Occasionally, Viper would slither over and try to keep her company, but with Tigress focused on her goal, it was pointless. , although crushed as well, made something to eat for anyone who asked. He offered Tigress some, but was turned down.

Dawn was approaching and everyone was sound asleep. Everyone except for Tigress. Her tears throughout the night had stained her fur. Her body was weak, hungry and tired, but she didn't care. Po was gone, and now she had nothing to cling onto anymore. Just as she was beginning to experience love, she learned a painful lesson. Love can hurt.

While Tigress focused on the river, which was now very calm, Shifu walked out of his tent and approached his daughter. Mantis, along with the help of the village doctor, had done a good job sewing up Shifu's wounds, but the wounds inside his mind, he would have to fix himself.

"Morning Tigress"

Tigress bowed her head slightly, but didn't turn to face her Master.

"Morning Master"

Shifu sat in the lotus position next to Tigress, looking at the river. The two were silent for a while, unsure of what to say. Tigress didn't mind the company, but she would rather focus on her task at hand. Shifu, knowing this, decided he would have to break the ice first.

"You should get some rest"

"Sorry Master, I refuse to rest until I know -"

"That he is alive?" interrupted Shifu. Tigress shot a quick glance at her Master, a look of utter depression and guilt.

"It's my fault that he is gone. If I had just been quicker, I could have saved him. All my life I've trained so that I could save everyone, and yet I failed..."

Those last few words were burned into her mind. It was all she could think about all night: how she had failed, and how everyone had suffered because of it. If she could, she would've started crying once more, but after all that crying, no more tears would fall.

"You are wrong Tigress"

"Huh?"

"I didn't train you to save everyone. I trained you, so you could save everyone you could"

Shifu was met with a confused look from his student.

"In our line of duty, in our lives, we try our best to protect everyone, but it doesn't always turn out that way. We are warriors, we fight, we protect, but sometimes, people will get hurt, and sometimes, people will die."

"I-i know that..." whimpered Tigress.

"No you don't." replied Shifu, rather sternly than he meant to. "You have always carried the world on your shoulders. Thinking that everyone's problems are yours. And because of that, you do not accept failure well. That is, until a Panda, fell from the sky."

Tigress turned her head fully to look at her Master, who was shedding a few tears.

"Ever since, I adopted you, I have always been afraid. I had shown Tai Lung every emotion a father could have, and because of that, I turned him into a monster. I was afraid, if I did the same with you, that you would have the same fate. In doing so, I have failed as a father."

Tigress could see the pain in her Masters face. The words he spoke dealt a blow to his own pride, but he needed to say them. For to long, Shifu had held these words in, and now he had to tell her. Word after word spun around the confused females mind. Was Shifu, her master and father, confessing his faults?

"Master, you -"

"When Po came into our lives, it took some time, but I saw what was happening. For the first time in your life, someone had made you open with your emotions. Po has brought peace to me and China, but the one thing I will always be grateful to him for, is that he showed you how to love."

Silence filled the air as Tigress stared at Shifu.

"Po wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened. He died fighting to protect the Valley, his friends, and you. He died doing what he thought was right. So I ask you, my daughter, to forget all my teachings and remember what Po has taught you. I know you will miss him, as will we all, but instead of fixating on his death, remember all the joy he brought you."

In that instant, all the memories of Po rushed through her head. When he fell in front of her, when she bowed to him and recognized him as a master, when she hugged him and in turn when he hugged her, when they danced, when they shared a bed for the first time. Everything went through her mind. The last memory was the kiss they almost had. All these memories had brought a smile to the Tiger's face, which had not seen a smile in so long. As quickly as the smile had come, it faded away.

"...I miss him" muttered Tigress

Shifu stood up, walked over to his daughter and hugged her. For the first time in her life, Shifu hugged her. It was awkward at first for them both, but after a few seconds, Tigress returned the hug, and continued to sob.

"I know my child, I miss him to."

"It's not fair … I love him"

Shifu's ears flattened, not out of anger, but sadness. He knew what it was like to lose someone you love. However, since Tigress was new to emotions, he had no idea how badly this had hurt her.

"I know you did … I'm sure he knew as well."

As the two slowly broke their first hug, Tigress kept a firm grip on Shifu's shoulder, which caught the attention of the red panda.

"Shifu … you took me from Bao Gu. My own personal hell. You taught me how to control my strength and anger. You gave me a home and a family. I couldn't have asked for a better father."

Without a second to react, Tigress pulled her father in for another hug. This time however, this hug was a hug that they both enjoyed, a hug they had held back for many years. Tigress and Shifu both felt a surge of warmth in their hearts. No longer would the wall between them stand. No more where they just master and student. They were now father and daughter.

"Tigress, please go and get some sleep. I will stay here and watch for him."

"Thank you, father."

Tigress reluctantly broke the hug and stood up. As she staggered towards one of the tents, she was stopped by Shifu calling out her name.

"I almost forgot, I rummaged through some of Po's things during the night, and I found this."

Shifu reached into his robe and pulled out the panda doll that Po had found at his village. He handed it over to Tigress, who took and nuzzled it against her cheek. This was a touching memento. It reminded her so much of him. Tigress thanked her father and continued to stagger towards one of the tents. As soon as she crawled into one, she collapsed and almost instantly fell asleep, nuzzling into the panda doll, wishing that it was the real Po.

As one master fell asleep, in the far distance another was waking up.

The previous night, Shen and Wello slept in the Grandmasters bed. The whole army slept in either their tents, or the houses that weren't destroyed. Shen, although evil, was still a master of kung fu, and as such respected and appreciated all the wonders of the Jade Palace. The barracks however, he didn't care for, but for now, he and his partner needed a place to sleep, and since Shen was now the ruler of The Valley, he found it more than acceptable to sleep in the Grandmasters bed.

Shen awoke to the sweet aroma of food, it smelled delicious, foreign and yet somehow familiar. The groggy Peacock stretched his wings and cracked his neck. As he got out of bed, the cold from made his feet shiver. Quickly, he put on his morning robe to shield him from the cold. Normally, he would spruce himself up and put on his metal talons, but since no one was allowed in the barracks except Wello, for once he could be casual and feel safe.

The halls echoed with the sound of a beautiful female voice singing. Shen knew who this was, and followed the voice to the kitchen. To his surprise, Wello was cooking breakfast, wearing nothing but her undergarments, covered with a see through white robe. Shen let out a small grunt of self pleasure, he had seen Wello naked, but after five long years the slightest thing could set him of.

"Good morning" said a cheery Swan.

Shen quickly cleared his throat, and tried to put all the dirty thoughts out of his head, for now.

"Ahem, good morning my dear"

Wello let out a small chuckle, knowing that she had startled her lover. As she focused on cooking the food, Shen approached her from behind, leaned forward and looked at what Wello was cooking. As he took in the smell of the food, his taste buds went into overdrive. Not only did he smell the food, he could smell her, and both looked very appetizing.

"Mmmmmm, eggs, mushrooms, from different countries I might add, koi fish and toast. You, my dear, are wearing that sweet perfume, which you bought in … Belgium, wasn't it?"

"Hehe, yes, how did you remember?"

Shen let out a small chuckle, as a cheeky smile slowly curved onto his face.

"I remember, because the day you bought it, I spent most of that night smelling it as I nibbled on your neck … like this."

With that Shen rubbed his beak on Wello's long slender neck, making the swan moan softly. As she gripped onto her cooking utensils tighter, Shen slipped out his tongue and began to caress her neck with it. Wello was enjoying this, but tried to resist.

"Mmmm, Shen … keep that up and I'll burn the food."

Shen heard her pleas, but didn't stop. He continued to kiss up and down her neck, as his hand reached around her and slid their way inside her robes, making contact with her soft gentle feathers.

"Mmmmm, I'm sorry dear, but both you and the food look good enough to eat, and I don't know which part of me is more hungry: my stomach, or my lust."

Shen's hands continued to wander all over the swans body, feeling every curve, as he lifted his head towards Wello's. Wello let go of what she was holding, and put her hands on top of Shens, encouraging him to go further. Shen turned her head at the perfect time to kiss the man she loved.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two broke the kiss, and Shen lifted his love over to the table in the center of the kitchen. As he planted her onto the table, the two quickly threw of anything that was on it onto the floor. The kitchen was a mess, but they didn't care. Wello, ripped of Shens robe out of lust and Shen removed her robe that blocked her view of her beautiful body.

For the next forty-five minutes, the two ravished each other, again and again. Letting out years of built up lust. Although they had mated not to long ago, that was just their reunion, now was the time for their true passion to show. Uncontrollable urges overtook them as they continued their lust filled act. Shen kissing the woman he loved over and over again as she sat on his lap, Wello stroking her lovers face as he continued to thrust. They were so rough, that the contents of the nearby shelves fell to the ground and the table they were on broke. Those who were on patrol near the barracks thought that the two were fighting … oh, if they only knew.

Once they were done, the kitchen was a complete wreck. Smashed bottles lay across the floor, different piece of furniture lay scattered everywhere, and the breakfast that Wello was cooking, was burnt. The two lovers rested on the floor, eating some fruit which they had found in one of the cabinets. Wello was resting her head on Shen chest, as the Peacock was eating a peach. Their feathers were ruffled, dirty and their clothes were torn, but they didn't care. All that mattered to them was each other.

"Sorry about the breakfast" whispered Shen apologetically.

"It's alright, I think you've already proved your sorry." replied Wello, who gave a small kiss to the mans cheek. Shen smiled at her, he truly loved her and she truly loved him.

"I miss times like these" said Shen, who was reaching out to for Wello's hand.

"Me too" replied Wello as she took his hand first, leaned up and kissed Shen passionately.

"I love you, my dear"

"I love you too"

After another fifteen minutes of making out, five minutes to have something to eat, and another ten minutes to get dressed, the two walked out of the barracks hand in hand. When they reached the entrance to the Jade Palace, Fang approached them, with a look of concern.

"My Lord and Lady, are you alright, my men reported noises coming from the barracks, it sounded like fighting."

The two white birds turned an amazing shade of red. The young wolf was confused why, but shrugged it of.

"We are fine Fang, but you might want to fetch us another table" said Wello who was giving a seductive look towards Shen, who turned even more red.

"Er … yes ma'am. Ahem, my Lord, we have found what you wanted us to find."

"Good, where are they?"

"We have put them all in the Jade Palace sir, also, I have a platoon ready to leave in search of those scumbags."

"Excellent … and what of Tao?"

"As you ordered sir, a group of my men have already taken his body to his old village to be buried."

"Good … it's what he would have wanted."

Wello looked up and saw that Shen was still hurt by his friends sudden departure. Slowly, she stroked his hand, and reassured him that Tao was in a better place. Shen smiled back to his love as they continued to walk into the Jade Palace. Before entering, Shen gave the order for Fang and his men to begin their search.

As the two birds entered the palace, they took in the majestic treasures of kung fu. Previously, they had no time to admire the treasures because they were fighting. The item that got Shens attention was the Sword of Heroes. As he approached the sword, he gazed in wonderment at the craftsmanship. As he continued to look, he felt a small cut on the tip of his wing. Moving swiftly on, Shen and Wello made their way to the pool. In front of the pool, was two thrones that had been placed there upon the request of Shen.

Shen and Wello sat down on each throne, as one of their minions pushed in a cart that carried all one thousand secret scrolls. Each scroll contained a secret, crucial art to kung fu. When it came to Cai Li Fo, Shen was a master, but, he knew that one on one, he would've lost to Po. To make sure that no-one will be able to defeat him once again, he and his love would read and master each and every scroll. Shen reached into his robe and pulled out his glasses. Upon putting them on, he picked up the nearest scroll and began to study it. Shens training to become unstoppable had begun.

Nearly half the day had passed as Tigress woke up. She found herself lying in a cart that was filled with all sorts of things. The panda doll was still in her hands. Quickly she put the doll into her pocket and jumped out of the cart. Everyone was walking at a fast pace, trying to get to safety. Never would they travel by the main road, for fear of being spotted. No, they stuck to the forest, weaving in and out of trees. Tigress, now fully rested, helped anyone she could.

For days the villagers walked. By night they rested, but it wasn't easy. Fear still had its hold on them all. Daytime was also harsh. It rained a lot, even the trees didn't offer them much cover. Food was becoming scarce, and everyone was becoming more and more tetchy. Shifu and his students tried their best to keep everyone civil and calm, but even they were becoming fed up.

In the distance, Crane could see many bandits looking for them. Upon revealing the news, everyone increased their pace. One day, Tigress thought she saw a pair of evil white eyes looking at her. When she rushed over to see if they had been found, no one was there.

Weariness was taking its heavy toll on everyone.

After a few more days they reached the base of a mountain. This was a weird mountain, to get to it, they would have to cross the river, then walk over a slightly big hill. Once they climbed over it though, it would act as the perfect place to hide. One by one they all crossed the river, it was a trial to get the carts over, bu eventually everyone got across. Walking up the grassy hill was another trial, because of its angle and the fact that the rain had made the mud slippery. Whenever someone slipped and fell into the mud, some of the cruel villagers laughed at them, Tigress told them of and helped the poor villager up. Once everyone had reached the top, the hill went down as a sloop. At the bottom of the hill, everyone saw that there was a village here. Numerous huts were everywhere, food had been planted in the ground, whoever was living here, wanted to be hidden. As the group made their way to the center of the hidden village, Shifu and the Five got an eery feeling. No-one was there.

Suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, fifty large cloaked warriors surrounded the group, pointing spears at them. Shifu and his students surrounded the villagers and got into their fighting stances. Although they were trained martial artists, these cloaked warriors looked tough. Tigress glared at a few of them, ready to die to protect the villagers. Normally she would fear death, but with Po gone she had little to lose.

"Bring it!" shouted Tigress

"With pleasure" said one of the cloaked warriors.

"Stop!" shouted a strong husky voice that came from behind the cloaked warriors. Out of the shadows came another cloaked warrior, but instead of a spear, he held a giant stone warhammer. The cloaked warrior, who everyone assumed was the leader, stepped towards Shifu. After a minutes silence, the leader laughed as he raised his hand, ordering his men to lower their spears.

"Shifu, it is so good to see you after all these years" said the cloaked leader.

Shifu raised his eyebrow in confusion, but after a few seconds began to remember the voice, a voice he had not heard in thirty years. " ... Dao … is that you?"

The leader took down his hood and revealed himself to the stunned group. The rest of the cloaked warriors followed this action. Tigress could hardly believe her eyes, in front of them were fifty-one Panda's

"Everyone! It is alright, these people mean you no harm, they are friends" shouted Dao, the leader of the Pandas. Tigress didn't even have time to blink, when countless Panda's came out of their hiding places. Their were hundreds: men, women, children, the elderly.

"It is good to see you after all these years Dao, but our question will have to wait, these people need food and medical attention."

"Of course. Someone fetch our doctors and bring some food for these people. Do not worry Shifu, you and your group are safe now."

The Five stood their in awe as all the villagers were given treatment by the Panda's. They weren't in shock of receiving help, far from it, they were shocked that the Panda's were here. Tigress snapped out of it and approached Dao.

"Thank you for your hospitality"

"Your welcome my child. I am Grandmaster Dao, of the Panda style, a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you Master Dao, I am Master Tigress and these are my companions: Master Mantis, Crane, Viper and Monkey."

"I assume you are all masters of your own style?"

"Yes they are" interrupted Shifu. "Dao, it is good to see you, but we have many questions for you. From what we had heard, all the Pandas were killed."

"Ah … well, please come into my hut, I will make us some tea and I will explain."

Dao led the six masters into his hut. It was a cozy little hut, there was a stove in the back, a bed for one and many pictures all over the place. Tigress picked up one of them and observed it. In the picture was Dao, along with a female Panda, who looked beautiful, graceful even. In her arms was a small baby Panda. Tigress came to the conclusion that this was Dao's family, but the thing that caught her attention the most, was the babies jade green eyes.

"Tea is ready, I hope you enjoy" said Dao as he handed his guests a cup of tea. Each of them gracefully accepted and sat down on a chair around a large table. Dao was the last to sit. He sipped his tea, cleared his throat and began his story.

"It was a day I will never forget. The sky was dark, the moon and stars were blotted out by the smoke of our houses. That murderer, Shen, he had killed many of us. He told a few of his wolves to kill my son, but I used my trusty hammer to send them back. I told my beloved wife, Xiao, to take our son and run, run as far as she could. That was the last time I saw my wife and child … "

Tigress placed her hand on the old Pandas shoulder. She could see the pain in his eyes. Thirty years ago is when this happened and it still hurt him this much. Tigress felt sorry for him, but began to wonder if the pain she felt would last this long.

"That is when I confronted him, Shen. One on one, I could have easily beaten that young upstart, but he, along with his wolves, beat me. The deranged Peacock, used his lance to strike me down. He cut me from my right shoulder to my stomach."

Dao removed the rest of his cloak and showed his guests the scar that Shen had left on him all those years ago. The six masters felt a lump in their throat as he continued his tragic story.

"Shen was a killer, but was not experienced in it. He had wounded me, in fact, many of the wounds he had dealt to my people were not lethal. This mistake of his, is how we survived. We checked for as many survivors as we could find, eventually we found all we could. A part of me wanted revenge against that lunatic, but I had to take care of my people. So, we packed as many things as we could and fled. After what seemed like forever, we found this place. It was perfect: it was hidden, the land was fertile, and the river across the hill provided us with water. Ever since we have lived here, for fear that Shen may find us and finish his job."

The six masters had mixed looks on their faces, some were sad, some were angry, some were just plain shocked, but they all wanted one thing, to make Shen pay. Tigress knew that this would be a touchy subject, but she had to know.

"Master Dao, I know this may be hard for you, but what happened to your wife and child?"

Shifu and the rest of the five glared at her. Tigress's ears flattened to her skull, feeling slightly guilty about asking such a question. Dao let out a sigh and told them all it was okay. He took a deep breath, and continued his tale.

"On the way here, I looked for them. I didn't rest, I didn't eat, I didn't even let a doctor tend to my wound properly. I don't know how long I looked, but I eventually found her, my beloved Xiao, dead in the snow."

Dao's hand turned into a fist at this thought. The elder Panda grit his teeth trying to fight back the tears. Tigress didn't remove her hand from his shoulder. Dao looked to the Tiger, he saw an equal amount of pain in her eyes. Dao shook his head and continued his story, he knew that for whatever reason, Tigress needed to know.

"I found her, buried her and I have never recovered from that ever since. I never found my son, I assumed that Shen had taken him away for some devious act … but I get the strongest feeling that you, Master Tigress, know what happened to my son."

"So it is as I thought … Po is your son."

Everyone at the table looked at the two masters in shock. This Panda was Po's father. Now that this news was available to them, once they squinted their eyes a little, they saw the resemblance. For a second they were overjoyed to meet Po's biological father, but the joy was quickly replaced by a deep sadness. Everyone has the same thought. Who would tell him his son is dead?

"So it is true? I had heard that the Dragon Warrior was a Panda. I had hoped that somehow, someway, he was my son. Are you sure that this 'Po' is my son?"

"Yes … he told us how his mother sacrificed herself so that he could live." replied Tigress.

"Xiao … what a woman. So, tell me, where is my boy? I would love to meet him."

The room went silent.

Everyone turned their head away from Dao, everyone except from Tigress. She loved him the most, so she had to tell him.

"Dao … I'm so sorry … Po … fell during battle, he's dead."

The old Panda, didn't move, didn't say a word. He just froze on the spot. A tear left his eye. It was unfair, he had just learned that his son was alive, and in an instant he was crushed. No man, no parent, should outlive their children.

"... Could you all, please excuse me for a while ... please. I would like to be alone now."

Tigress nodded.

Shifu and the five left Dao in his hut, to wallow in his torment. Having to tell Dao such horrible news, crushed Tigress's spirit. Shifu recommended that his students get something to eat and some rest. Everyone agreed, except for Tigress. The broken master walked up to the top of the hill surrounding the village and sat down, facing the river. For her sake and the sake of Dao, she would sit there, in hope that Po was somehow still alive.

Dao walked over to the counter, where he kept the photo's of his family. He picked up the one that Tigress was looking at. As he looked at his beautiful wife and dear son, tears from his eyes dripped onto the paper. For so long he had been alone. He had hoped that his son was alive, that somehow fate would bring them together. Sadly it was not to be. Dao closed his eyes and let the tears flow freely.

As his eyes closed however, another pair of eyes slowly began to open, a pair of jade green eyes.

Po slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Everything around him was white: the sky, the ground, everything. Around him on the floor, was a small patch of green grass. Po expected to be in complete pain, but felt none, in fact, he had no wounds, he felt heavenly. It took Po a good minute to realize that someone was humming. Po looked up and saw that someone was cradling his head on their lap. This person, whoever it was, continued to cradle his head, and with one free hand stroke the top of his head, like a baby. Po was about to question this person on why they were doing what they were doing, and where he was, but as his vision became more and more clearer, he slowly began to gaze in wonderment.

The person cradling him was a female, who wore a white robe, had her hair done up in a bun and had a dimple on her cheek. When Po's vision fully came back, he noticed the final details of this woman. It was someone he had not seen in thirty years. Po slowly opened his mouth and spoke.

"Mom?"

**A/N: Well, there you go. Po is back … kinda. I hope you enjoyed this one, review and tell me what you think. I know you will all want to know what happens next, but don't worry, ill update asap. I have a cold, and I'm stuck in my bed, so I'll be doing nothing but writing, expect the next chapter soon. Late-ers**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Yay! I got rid of my cold. I feel much better. Sorry this took so long, I had a 'distraction'. Hehe, since this is Valentine's day, I dedicate this story to that 'distraction' and all the couples out there who are in love. Enjoy. Warning: this chapter contains … nothing offensive … wow, I'm disappointed in myself.**

**Chapter 11: Brothers In Pain**

Po blinked in disbelief as he looked at the person who resembled his mother. Her image was perfect from that last time Po saw her, the hair, the face, the clothes even the smell were exactly as he remembered her all those years ago.

"Mom, is that you?"

The female Panda cradling his head, slowly began to smile down to him.

"Yes, my son, it's me."

"Mom!"

Po shot up and hugged his mother, burying his head into her chest. Xiao returned the heart felt hug, as the two silently wept. Xiao used one of her free hands to stroke the back of her son's head.

"Shh, it's alright, it's alright."

"Mom … I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Po pulled back, breaking the hug. He would love nothing more than to hug his mother who he hasn't seen in thirty years, but he needed answers.

"Mom, where are we?"

Once again, Po looked around and saw nothing but endless white. The only notable thing that could be seen was the patch of grass they were sitting on.

"We are in the spirit world."

Po's eyes shot wide open like dinner plates. Had he heard her right? THE spirit world, that only meant one thing.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod, I'm dead aren't I?"

"Son, you -"

"I didn't want to die yet. I had so much to do, so much to see."

"Po, if you -"

"I didn't even get my first kiss! I -"

Po was stopped by his mother placing a firm hand over her son's mouth.

"Po, you are not dead, I promise you. I asked the ones in charge if they could bring you here for a minute so we could talk."

Xiao removed her hand from her son's mouth. Po was quiet for a while, but eventually found the power to talk.

"... So, I'm not dead?"

"No son, think of this place as a visiting room."

"Wow … cool."

"Hehe, yes, cool. Oh, Oogway says hello."

"Master Oogway is here?"

"Yes, everyone comes here when they die, be it of old age or dying in battle. When you die, you go to the spirit world."

"Can I see him?"

"Sorry Po, but you can't. The ones in charge will only allow us to take for a minute or two."

"Oh … Okay."

Po scooted away from his mother, but was still close. He sat down in front of her, never letting his eyes wander from her. Although he knew this was the spirit world, and that she was, he was afraid that she would disappear if he even blinked.

"My boy, I have watched over you all your life, saw you grow up from a baby to a fine young man. I watched as you saved China, and yet, when you were fighting that bear, I have never seen you so angry. What's wrong?"

Po scratched the back of his head in shame. Xiao was right, at that time Po was not acting like himself. He had been angry before, but never like that. Never did he have the intention to kill. With Tai Lung he tried to show him the true meaning of the scroll, hoping he would learn. With Shen, he tried to help him let go of the past. Every time, Po tried to help his foes, he gave them one chance, but instead they chose the path of evil. So why did Po act the way he did?

"Well … uh … you see, this guy threatened to attack my friends if I - "

"So did every opponent that you have faced. What was so different about this one?"

"Well ... um ... eh ..."

"Did he do something to hurt you?" Xiao pressed on.

"He -"

"Or someone you care about?"

"HE HURT THE WOMEN I LOVE" shouted Po as he stepped forward, getting defensive. Xiao was shocked by this sudden outburst, as was Po. He never meant to snap at his mother. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"Tigress … her name is Tigress, and he nearly killed her. I can never forgive him for that. With him I refuse to give him a second chance."

Xiao walked up to her son, and stroked him on the cheek. Po had been stroked on the face before, but this was different. Previously his face was stroked by Tigress, the woman he loves. This time it was a caring soothing feeling, a love that only a mother can give.

"My boy … you wanted revenge, didn't you?"

Po scratched the back of his head in shame. Xiao had hit the nail on the head.

"Po, I can think of many men killed for revenge, and many men who killed for power. You are not one of them."

"But Mom -"

"Po, I don't want you to end up like the man who killed me." said Xiao, stomping her foot on the ground, putting her point across. Po had just met his mother, and he knew when to back down. Even after thirty years, Xiao was still his mother. Xiao composed herself, and approached her son once again. In a more calmer manner.

"Son, you tried to kill out of revenge, and look where it got you. You aren't dead, but you were close to death."

At the mention of death, Po gulped.

" … Okay, so maybe fighting for revenge is wrong, but I can't let him get away with it."

"Of course not, but you need to think why your doing it."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you do what you do, why do you fight?"

"I fight to protect, I fight for justice."

"Why?"

"Well … I have to. The people of China need my help, and it's sorta my job"

Xiao let out a sigh, followed by a small chuckle. The female panda shook her head as she approached her son closer, never shifting her gaze from his.

"My son, if you are to truly stand up to any enemy, so that you can save anyone, you must find a real reason to fight."

"You're talking about 'Inner Strength' aren't you?"

"Yes Po, I am. Every warrior has their duties to their country. To achieve true strength, one must find out what gives them that strength."

"I … understand."

He didn't understand at all.

"Good."

A strong breeze swept pass the two panda's. Xiao let out a grunt of annoyance followed by a sigh of sadness. She knew what time it was, but she didn't want this time to end.

"Po … it's time for you to go back."

"Back? Back where?"

"Back into your body, back to your realm."

Both mother and son stared at each other. They knew this had to happen, Po had to return, his friends needed him. As the two looked at each other, tears began to form in their eyes. Without a second to think, Po wrapped his arms around his mother and embraced her. Po held onto his mother as tightly as he could, and she did the same. Through muffled tears they both shared their last words.

"Po … no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you … I love you son."

"I love you too Mom."

As the two cried into each others fur, Po was reluctantly pulled away by an invisible force. As the hug was broken, Po was pulled towards the empty white abyss. Po was ready to leave, but had to say one last thing.

"Mom! I never got to thank you for what you did! You saved me!" shouted Po

"I'm your mother Po, you don't need to thank me!" shouted Xiao.

As Po vanished into the white void, Xiao could only cry and whimper as her son left her once again.

"Goodbye … my boy."

Po's eyes shot wide open, only to find himself in a dark, damp cave. He tried to sit up, but unlike the spirit world, his wounds were real here. Every muscle on his body ached as he slowly made his way up. Much to his surprise, all his wounds were wrapped in gray cloth. His arms ached, but were put back into their sockets. Under all his makeshift bandages was a healing paste. Shifu had taught him about this paste which could be found in certain trees. After examining his condition, Po turned his attention to the fire in the middle of the cave. Po's eyes almost popped out of his head when he noticed who was on the other side of the fire. It was Razputin, the bear who tried to kill him.

"What the – ow" said Po as he tried to stand up and get in his defensive stance, but his wounds wouldn't allow him. He collapsed back down to the floor, barely able to move. Po thought that his opponent was about to kill him, but much to his surprise the bear just sat there.

"Relax Panda, if I wanted you dead I would have left you in the river to drown."

Po didn't let his defenses down, but the bear made a good point.

"... So why'd you let me live then?"

"It is not the way I want you to die" stated the bear, without missing a beat.

"Ooookay" said a very confused Po "So how do you want me to die?"

"I told you, I want to fight you to the death with witnesses to see your demise. I saved you because I don't want you to die by nature, and I want people to know that I killed you."

"... did I do something to you? I mean, whats your problem with me."

Po waited for an answer, but as he did, he caught the scent of cooking fish. On the fire were multiple fish that were stuck on sticks, cooking nicely. Razputin stood up and approached the fire, picking up a few fish and handed them to Po. Po was reluctant, but was also hungry. He took the fish and began to eat it. They were delicious.

As Razputin walked back over to his side of the cave, Po noticed that the coat he was wearing was now lying all over the floor in pieces. Po came to the conclusion that the bandages that were on him and Razputin, were torn up pieces of his coat.

The giant black bear, slumped down onto the floor, and took a giant bite out of a fish, almost devouring it. As he ate, his eyes were closed. Po ate and watched his enemy. Razputin looked like he was thinking long and hard about his answer to that question. After eating a few fish, the bear finally spoke.

"It is nothing personal against you Panda. I only wish to fight you because of your title."

"You wanna kill me because I'm the 'Dragon Warrior'?"

"In a sense, yes."

"I don't understand"

"For as long as I can remember, I have fought countless opponents and beaten them all. I have searched for the strongest warrior, so that I might find them, face them, and kill them, proving that I am the strongest man alive."

"You want to kill me just to prove your strong, why? While you're at it, do you mind explaining to me why you did what you did to Tigress?"

"Who?"

"Master Tigress, the woman you nearly killed!"

Po's voice echoed throughout the cave as he shouted. Po glared at the bear as he continued to draw a blank. Eventually Razputin remembered who Po was talking about, and began to explain.

"First things first Panda. I offered the challenge, but she was the one who made the first hit. Secondly, I knew who she was. The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five were the talk of China, I had heard many stories about you all. When I met her, I came to the conclusion that she was one of the five. I challenged her, and beat her, to deliver a message."

"A message? What message?"

"That if you didn't train, if you didn't prepare, I would do what I did to you, and then I would go after her once more. I issued the challenge for our fight the second I beat her to the ground."

"You son of a -"

Po tried to get up once more, but once again, his wounds stopped him. Razputin simply laughed at Po's attempt to stand. As he laughed, a thought popped into his mind.

"Hmhmhm, you care for the tiger?"

"Damn right I do!"

"By chance, is your name 'Po'?"

"How … how did you know that?"

"As I was beating your beloved tiger to the ground, she begged for help, she wanted only one person to help her. You, she called out for you."

"Oh..."

The two bears remained silent for a while. Razputin continued to eat some more fish as Po just sat there. After a while, curiosity got the better of Po.

"So, why do you want to be the strongest?"

Razputin gulped down the piece of fish he was chewing on, and let out a sigh. Although strong, his story always made him feel weak, and he hated it.

"I want to prove something."

"Prove what?"

"That I am not weak."

"Who do you have to prove it to?"

"Where I am from Panda, the people despise the weak. You must be strong to survive. In my village, you must work, struggle and fight for your food, water, everything."

"That sounds rough."

"It is. My ancestors have always been known to be strong. My grandfather helped build my country, my father is a well known warrior. When I was born my father, along with my whole village, expected a strong, healthy boy."

"But...?"

"I was born, small, weak and sick."

"So … you had a poor birth? Looking at you now, I guess it wasn't so bad."

"Haven't you been listening?"

Razputin shouted at the top of his lungs, which caused the cave to shake.

"My village, my people, hate the weak. As I grew up as a child, everyone hated me … even my father. No one would help me, they would kick me into the dirt. I nearly starved to death. You have no idea what it means to be treated like dirt your whole life, just because your different."

The anger that Po felt inside him suddenly turned into sympathy. Po looked down and placed his hand on his stomach. He may have not had it as rough as Razputin had, but he was still mocked by the other kids because of his weight. Add on that no one believed that Po could achieve anything, except his father. Po's view on this bear was starting to change slightly. He still saw an enemy, but now he had a better understanding of him.

"Yes … I do. I grew up being picked on because of my weight. My pain is not as great as yours, but don't you dare tell me that I don't know what pain is at all."

" … I am sorry Panda, I was out of place to say that."

"It's alright. So wait, even without having the title of strongest man alive, your still very strong. Isn't that proof enough?"

"You would think that, wouldn't you. Sadly, it wasn't. As I grew older, I trained. I punched the trees surrounding my village, ran countless miles, allowed the bullies to hit me until I could feel nothing. I trained for all my life, I lost a lot of sweat, tears and blood, but it was worth it. When I was in my teenage years, I challenged the strongest warrior in my village. It was a grueling match, but I won. All those who had mocked me, kicked me down, looked at me in awe. Everyone cheered and I loved it. I approached my father and awaited his praise. Do you know what he said?"

"Um … well done?"

"No. he said 'so you beat the best in the village? So what?'"

"That's unfair. After all that he didn't even congratulate you."

"As unjust as it sounded, my father was right. I had beaten the best in the village, but to that day I still did not have a worth title like my ancestors did. I had to outdo my father. I traveled the world, and fought many warriors, becoming much stronger after every fight. When I went home to see him, he did not even look at me. I was born weak, and because of that, I failed him as a son."

"So, your doing all this, you want to kill me so you can make him proud? So you can prove your the strongest?"

"No … the old man died years ago."

"Then why?"

"If someone tells you something after sometime, eventually it will get stuck in your head. All my life I have been told I am weak, and no matter what I did, my father still thought I was weak. Even after he passed on, I can hear him in my head, still calling me weak. I do not do this for him, I do all of this for myself."

"You want to prove it to yourself?"

"Yes, I need to know that I'm not weak. To silence all those who think I am, I need witnesses to see my victory. The annoying white peacock told me that the 'Dragon Warrior' is the strongest warrior in the world. That is why I came for you."

"Wait, 'annoying white peacock' … you don't mean Shen do you?"

"I think that is his name, I don't remember it."

Po shook in both anger and fear. The thought that he was still alive and causing chaos made his blood boil.

"Where is he?"

"Right now, he should have taken over the Valley of Peace"

"What? Oh god …"

"Do not worry, your friends are fine. When I was out getting the paste from the trees, I saw them walk along the river bank. If you follow it you should meet up with them. They were accompanying the villagers somewhere."

"Are they okay?"

"I didn't see much, but your tiger friend seemed to be sad about something."

"Gee, I wonder why" said Po sarcastically.

As both bears continued to finish the rest of the fish, they remained silent. Bite by bite, Po could feel his strength return. After a while he was able to stand, and later able to walk. Po had enough energy to move, but was in no condition for a fight. Luckily, Razputin didn't want to fight either. The two rested in the cave a little more. Eventually it was time to leave. As they exited the cave, Po asked a simple question.

"Hey you know my name right?"

"Yes I do, Po, and it is a name I wont forget"

"Then what's yours?

"Razputin"

"Okay, 'Raz'"

"It's Razputin"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna call you Raz"

"The annoying white peacock was right. Not getting your own name right it annoying, hmhmhm."

As they left the cave, Po saw that they were close to the waterfall where they fell. Razputin pointed in the direction that the villagers were going. It was in the direction behind him.

"They went that way"

"Thanks, well, see ya."

Before Po could walk around Razputin, the giant bear stuck his arm out and stopped him. Po gulped, and looked up at the fellow bear.

"Listen Po, right now you are not at your best. You are hurt, weak and tired. Also there are no witnesses. This is why I let you go. When you are ready, when you are at your very best. I will come for you, and I will fight you to the death."

"And what if I dont want to fight you to the death?"

"Then I will find the tiger you love so much, and I will finish what I started."

"If you lay one damn hand on her, I'll -"

"The only way to stop me, is to kill me. Understood?"

Po just stared at Razputin, with anger in his eyes.

"When the time comes, will you fight for your life? Will you fight me to the death?"

" ... Okay. I'll do it"

With that Razputin lowered his arm and allowed Po to walk past him. As the two warriors crossed paths, their eyes never left each other. Po was confused about this man. He was out to kill, and yet he could sympathize with him.

All his life, Razputin had suffered his pain alone, but looking down at his enemy, he found someone he could relate to. Someone who, in the past, felt the pain he had.

As they made a good bit of distance between them, Razputin shouted at Po without turning to face him. As the words traveled to Po's ears, he continued to walk.

"You and I are not so different Po, we have felt the same pain. In this sense, we are brothers!"

Razputin, having said what he needed to say, made his way back to the Valley of Peace. Po took those words in mind, and thought about them. Although they were enemies, in a way they also saw eye to eye. Po shook his head, and dashed down the river bank. He had been out of it for a few days, and had to catch up with his friends. As he began to run, all he could think about was Tigress. Viper had told him what Tigress was like when Shen had blasted him with the cannon. He had no idea what she would be like now. No matter what though, he knew that she needed him. Po increased his running pace as the same thought ran through his mind.

"Tigress … I'm coming."

**A/N: There you go, Po is back, woooooo! I hope you all enjoyed that, review and let me know what you think. Once again I dedicate this chapter to all those who have found love. To those who aren't so lucky, stay strong, I know someone is out there for you. I'll update asap, I'll try my best not to get distracted this time, hehehe. Happy Valentine's Day 2012**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm shouting it out to the world, I'm in love and I want everyone to know. It's amazing how good another person can make you feel huh? Anyway, here is the latest chapter. When I say so, I strongly suggest listening to a certain piece of music. Here is the song title: You're not alone by katethegreat19**

**By strongly suggest, I of course mean, do it. :) Youtube it, its the 2nd video**

**Enjoy. **

**Warning: This chapter contains mild language, sexual intentions, violence and gore. Oh goodie goodie.**

**Chapter 12: You're not alone**

For days, Po ran as fast as he could, following Razputins direction by following the river. His body ached all over. Many a time he would've liked nothing more than to just collapse and allow himself some rest, but when such thoughts entered his mind, they were quickly changed to one person: Tigress.

The thought of his friends and family kept him going, but his real strength came from thinking of her. The simple image of Tigress being alone, crying and yearning for him, drove Po to continue. Po did stop to eat every now and then. He would eat the fruit he picked from the trees, the honey he took from the bee's and anything else he could get his hands on.

After some time, he noticed a group of bandits, who most likely worked for Shen. Po had to go around them, for he was in no condition to fight. Even at his best, he would struggle because there was to many. Quietly, he tiptoed behind tree after tree, outmaneuvering the bandits. Luckily, Po was not noticed. His stealth mode had improved greatly, much to his pleasure.

On the other end of the woods, Razputin was walking slowly toward the Valley where Shen was. Razputin did not care for the Peacock, or his plan, but he still felt the need to inform him that Po was still alive. However, Razputin was in no rush. This was the bears first time in China, so he decided to take in the scenery.

Tigress did nothing bit sit on the top of the grassy hill, looking out to the river in hopes that Po would show up. She was still crushed, but she knew she had her duties to the villagers, China, and her friends. Shifu, and the rest of the Five approached her multiple times, offering words of comfort, along with some food. Everyone missed Po in their on certain way. Mantis and Crane had lost one of his closest friends, Monkey had lost his pranking friend and rival, Viper had lost someone whom she loved as a brother. Shifu had lost a lot more, he had lost his best student, the student who gave him peace. Shifu may have treated Po badly from time to time, but in truth, he had so much pride for him. However, upon losing Po, it seems he has also lost his daughter as well.

During their time there, Dao and talked a lot about Po. The old goose was broken, but was more than happy to talk to Dao about Po. From the adoptive father to the biological father, they both wondered in amazement as ranted about Po's life. Dao was grateful to the old bird, but couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat when he thought about his son, and how he would never meet him.

One day, when dawn had just risen. Tigress sat on top of the hill, looking out for enemies and, of course, Po. As The village leader, Dao was the first to get up. He picked up a bowl of peaches and a blanket, and approached the Tiger Master. He approached her from the side and offered her the bowl. Tigress turned her head to the bowl and stared at it. After a minute, she uttered the words "Thank you" and took the bowl. Dao understood the Tigers pain, and put her rudeness to one side. Without her approval, he placed the blanket over her shoulder. She looked cold, as if she sat out there all night.

"Thank you" muttered Tigress, who was slowly eating peach after peach.

"Do not mention it." said Dao as he sat down next to the female.

Silence filled the air for a while, as both Masters stared at the river. Dao knew it was impossible, but he held onto hope that Tigress was right. Deciding to break the ice, the grandmaster spoke.

"From what I've been told, my son was quite a man."

"... He was the best of us."

" … You miss him dearly, don't you?"

" … I love him … I love him, and just as I was about to tell him, he gets taken from me."

"Trust me … I know the feeling."

It didn't take Tigress long to realize that Dao was more or less in the same position she was in. If Po wasn't dead they would finally be able to meet. Being in this village offered some comfort to her, because there was someone who shared her pain.

"I … I'm sorry for your loss"

"As am I for yours."

Silence once again filled the air, as Tigress continued to eat. As they sat there, all of the village slowly began to wake up. The farmers began to farm, the fisherman began to fish and the cook's began to cook. joined the cook's and learned many new recipies, and even shared a few. The villagers from the valley, had treated their wounds and were ready for whatever action Shifu was going to take. However, Shifu had no idea what to do. His mind was a wreck and one of his students was dead. He had to be the leader, but, how?

Dao had to tend to his people, so he had to leave. Before he left, he said one final thing to Tigress.

"I lost my son thirty years ago. I thought that my life was ruined, and for a while it was. But I never abandoned my duties, or my people. My heart has never fully healed, but with my people by my side, I know that I am not alone."

With that, Dao left, leaving Tigress to her thoughts. She refused to give up, but she knew she couldn't keep torturing herself like this. Po would always remain in her heart, but she had to concentrate on protecting her people. She prayed that the Panda she loved, would give her the strength to continue.

For the rest of the afternoon, Tigress sat on top of the hill, collecting her thoughts. It took her all her strength to stand up, and it took much, much more to turn her back to the river. Shifu, her friends and her people needed her help. The broken master took a few steps towards the village. Suddenly she stopped, and turned to the river one last time.

What she saw was what she has always seen. The green grass, the clean rushing water, the countless trees surrounding it and a Panda walking next to the river wearing pants and numerous gray bandages. Tigress took no notice to it and turned back to walk to the village. It took her a minute to click, and once she did, her eyes nearly popped out of her head and her mouth dropped in awe. As quick as a flash, she turned and sprinted up the hill, back to the top. It was true, there was a Panda there, wearing pants and covered in bandages. Tigress managed to whisper the word 'Po?' under her breath. The more she looked at him, the more she was sure it was him and not just an illusion.

"PO!" shouted Tigress, who then took of towards the river. The whole village heard Tigress shout. As Tigress ran down the hill, everyone else made their way up it.

Tigress ran on two legs, but then ran on all fours. If it was Po, she didn't want him to disappear again. More and more, she quickened her pace. Po continued to walk, daydreaming in his own world. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he never heard Tigress call out to him, or hear her coming.

Tigress got faster and faster as she approached the river. With all her force she jumped across the river, towards the Panda. When she was mid-air, she called out his name once again. "PO!" This time, Po heard his name, and just had enough time to turn and face the person who did the calling. To his surprise he saw the Tiger he loved so much, one inch from him, pouncing on to him. The two collided with a thud as Po fell on his back, on the soft green grass with Tigress on top of him. Shifu, the rest of the five and everyone else, had just made it to the top of the hill to see the two collide. Tigress opened her eyes, and squeezed the Panda she was lying on. Much to her relief, he was real.

Po opened his eyes and looked up to see Tigress staring right back at him. Their noses were touching as they looked into each others eyes. For days they had been separated, but finally, the jade green eyes met with the yellow eyes once more.

"Po?" whispered Tigress

"Tigress?" whispered Po

Once the two realized it really was them, they embraced each other on the floor. Po wrapped his big arms around Tigress and pulled her into his stomach. Tigress wrapped her arms around Po, rested her head on his shoulder and began to cry. This time was different though, instead of tears of sadness, these were tears of joy and relief.

"Tigress! I'm so glad I found you"

"Po … I thought I'd never see you again!"

Tigress took one of her arms, and softly began to pound the Panda's chest, repeating the words "I thought -" over and over again. After a minute or two of hitting Po softly, the full sentence came out. "I thought you were dead, you bastard, where were you?"

Po looked Tigress in the eyes and saw that she was crying. From her stained fur, he guessed that she had been crying a lot. As Tigress looked into his eyes, she saw pain, anguish and loneliness. Being away from each other nearly destroyed them

"I was lost, alone and afraid … but now I've found you."

Tigress let out a small chuckle as a smile went on her face. Once again, she buried her face into Po's shoulder and continued to hug him. Po returned the hug, and let out a few tears of happiness himself. Without breaking the hug, he sat up with Tigress in his lap. Once he was fully up, Tigress turned her head and kissed Po on the cheek. Po blushed and looked at Tigress, who was also blushing. Po quickly looked around the area out of embarrassment. When he did this however, he noticed everyone standing on top of the hill, looking at them. Tigress turned to face them as well. Po let out a small chuckle of shyness, but was quickly snapped out of it when he saw something he did not expect. Panda's. Countless Panda's stood before him, old, young, tall, small, all of them. Tigress turned Po's head to face her and said …

"Po … there is someone I want you to meet."

With that, Tigress turned her head towards the Panda's, which made Po do the same, as they both looked directly at the leader of the Panda's: Dao, Father of Po.

_CRAAAACK!_

Wello was impressed. Shen has only been reading the scrolls for a few days, but his power and skill has greatly increased. So much in fact, that with one kick, he sent the adversary right through the wall. Shen knew how to preserve his energy, focus his strength and how to increase his speed, like Shifu can. It may have only been a few days, but Shen was a fast learner.

"Very impressive" said Wello as she handed her lover a towel to clean the sweat of.

"Thank you, my dear. A pity there wont be any worthy challenges to try these moves on."

Wello walked up to the side of Shen, an teasingly leaned her head in close to his neck. Breathing on his neck, sending shivers down his whole body, stimulating him easily.

"Well, instead of practicing those moves, why don't you practice something else?"

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" squeaked Shen, who needless to say was both excited and nervous. Wello knew that Shen wasn't use to being hit on, but it amused her to no end. Besides, the end result was always fun.

"Oh … I have a few ideas" teased Wello as she slid her soft warm hands into Shens robe. The Peacock had been working non-stop, maybe it was time to relax. However, before the two lovers could got any further, two wolves entered the training hall, bringing news to their Lord. Shen and Wello were angry that their fun was cut short. For their sake, this had better be important.

"Lord Shen, Lady Wello, we have received a message from Fang."

Shen, although still annoyed, had to attend to this matter. He, reluctantly, removed Wello's hands from his chest and made his way over to the two wolves.

"Whats the message?"

"Ahem, 'Lord Shen, we have searched for days, and yet we have not found a trace of the prisoners. We require air assistance if we hope to find them. Please send Razorbeak.' End of message my Lord."

"Hmph, you would think that a group of morons would be able to find a whole village! Fine, go find Razorbeak and inform him that he needs to team up with Fang to find those miserable cretins."

"Sir, yes sir."

The wolves bowed, turned and made their way to the door.

"Wait a second." ordered Shen. The wolves complied.

"My love, how many people does it take to deliver a message?"

"Oh … only one I think."

"That's what I thought … you there … come here."

As Shen pointed to the wolf on the left, he nervously approached his Master. The other wolf did not want to see what was going to happen, so he took of like a bullet out the door to deliver the message. The other wolf just stood there as Shen gave him a malicious look. His eyes were half closed, his hands were behind his back and his long train twitched in anticipation.

"Are you nervous? And be honest."

"Y-yes, Lord Shen, I am"

"Hmhmhm, don't be, I just want to test out a new move."

The wolf let out a sigh of relief.

Oh if he only knew what Shen was planning.

"Give me your hand" ordered Shen

The wolf complied, and Shen grabbed one of the wolfs fingers with his thumb and index finger. After a second, Shen raised his pinkie and glared at the wolf. The poor wolf began to shake as he had no idea what was about to happen.

"Um … My Lord, will this hurt?"

Shen let out a devious, cold chuckle, as did Wello. He was going to make him pay for interrupting his fun.

"Well … maybe a little."

With no time to think, Shen lowered his pinkie onto the wolfs hand, and within a second his veins began to expand. All his nerves began to grow and his blood thickened. Blood shot out of his ears and blood began to pour from his mouth, nose and eyes. The next thing they knew, the wolf exploded. A giant layer of blood red dust filled the air and traveled all over the Valley. Everyone there was scared by this phenomenon, as it turned the sky blood red. In the training hall, the walls were covered in dripping blood and guts. Different organs were spread all over the floor. Shen was drenched in blood. Not an inch of him wasn't covered in blood. Wello predicted what was coming and opened up her umbrella to block the blood. Once it was over, she closed her umbrella and shook the blood off. Wello walked over to Shen, walking on a giant pool of blood to get to him. Once she was at his side, she leaned over and licked his cheek, getting some of the blood in her mouth. It tasted good. Shen looked over to the love of his life. To a normal person, that act would creep them out, but not for Shen. He adored Wello for everything that she is, both good and bad. Truly, he loved her. Without moving his eyes away from her, Shen turned and kissed Wello, deeply and passionately. The kissed each other seductively, tingling all their senses, in a pool of blood.

As the fire crackled, all the villagers, both from the Valley and the Village, sat around it. Po told his story of how he survived the fall, and his encounter with Razputin. Dao explained to his son on how he and the rest of the Panda's survived. As each story was told, everyone was held in captivation. Tears were shed, mouth were dropped in awe and a few stares of confusion were given when the conversation with Razputin came up. As the tales went on, the day turned into night. Food and drink was handed out amongst the people as everyone continued to listen.

"Then I ran through the forest. The next thing I knew, Tigress was flying right at me." said Po, who blushed at the last statement of his sentence. Tigress did the same. Throughout all the storytelling, Tigress refused to leave Po's side. She was happy that Po was back, more than happy, but something in the back of her mind bothered her.

"It seems that luck is finally on our side. It is good to have you back Po" stated Shifu, the rest of the five agreed with their master, giving Po a pat on the back, showing him they missed him.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. We have work to do though."

Po stood up and made his way to the fire, which got everyone's attention. Shifu and the five were a bit surprised that Po was taking charge. Normally he was a goofball, but something changed in him over the past few days. Po had found out that Shen was alive, and as long as he was alive, everyone would be in danger.

"What do you mean Po?" asked Mantis, who made his way to Po's shoulder.

"Shen is out there, probably preparing something big. He has made his move, and because of it we have had to run, abandon our homes and everything we worked for. I say, we go to the Emperor, rally our own army, and end this once and for all."

As Po spoke, hope began to rise in the broken villagers eyes, something that hasn't been there for a long time. Hope is frail, but its hard to kill. Po was reigniting the flame that is their hope. Shifu, the Five and even the Panda's felt themselves getting stronger as each word passed their ears. Dao looked at his son with such pride, he had the making of a leader, and it showed.

Tigress looked in awe as Po continued his speech, but this feeling at the back of her head wouldn't leave. Quietly, she stood up and made her way silently pass the crowd towards the mountain.

"I know we have lost many. Be it thirty years ago, or a few days ago, but I wont stand around and watch him take anymore innocent lives!"

"YEAH!" shouted the crowd.

"We are going to get our own army!"

"YEAH!" the crowd shouted louder

"We will march to the Valley."

"YEAH!" again, louder

"And we will tell Shen, this is OUR home, OUR land, OUR country and WE WILL FIGHT FOR IT!"

Po raised his fist into the air, which made the whole crowd cheer and roar. Dao and Shifu crossed their arms, smiled and nodded towards Po, both knowing he had rekindled the hope in everyone.

Po looked around as all the kids in the village came up to him, wanting his attention. As Po continued to look around, he noticed that Tigress was gone. He made his way pass the crowd, as they continued to cheer. It looked as if they were about to have a small feast, celebrating Po's return. He looked all over the village but couldn't find her. When Po was just about to give up, the moonlight caught his attention. It was shining on a cave, someway up the mountain overlooking the village. He had the strongest feel that is where Tigress was.

And he was right.

Tigress placed her hand above her head and waited for the water drop to fall once again. As a droplet from the top of the cave fell, Tigress tried to grab it with her paw. Much to her annoyance, it only broke. Tigress had tried to do this for the past ten minutes, and it was starting to piss her off. She tried again, but didn't notice the Panda standing at the entrance of the cave. Again she failed, and once she did, Po spoke.

"Hey"

"Ah! Hey!" said Tigress, who was taken by surprise.

"Whatcha doing?" asked Po as he got closer.

"I'm … uh … training" said Tigress, feeling slightly embarrassed about what Po had just seen. Po let out a small chuckle at the irony of this line. Tigress frowned for a second, thinking he was laughing at her, but then she remember that she heard that line before. Like Po, she let out a small laugh. Once the two cleared their throats, Po continued his questioning.

"You were trying to achieve Inner Peace, weren't you?"

"Y-yeah" said Tigress, again slightly embarrassed.

"How come?"

Tigress opened her mouth to speak, but her pride stopped the words from leaving her mouth. Instead, other words came out.

"It's … nothing. Forget about it."

Tigress turned her back to Po and prepared herself for more training. Po stood there, determined to know what was wrong. Slowly, he placed one of his paws on her shoulder and pulled her close to him. He wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into a hug. Tigress was a bit shocked at this act, but enjoyed the warmth coming from Po's body. She raised both her hands onto his arm and rested them there. Po leaned in and whispered. "Please … tell me whats wrong."

Tigress was silent for a minute. Suddenly, Po could feel a grip on his arm. Tigress clutched onto him as a tear escaped her eye.

"I thought … you were dead … that I had lost you forever. I'm happy your back Po, I really am, but when you were gone I was a wreck. I couldn't think, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. We're warriors, death is something we should expect. I need Inner Peace, because if I ever really lost you for good, that is all I'm going to have."

Po felt the tears trickle onto his arm. They felt cold and filled with emotion. Po hated to see Tigress like this, but how could he help?

...Then an idea hit him.

"Po? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to teach you the proper movements for Inner Peace, your stance was a bit of."

Po places his hands on top of Tigress's hands and placed them in the correct position. He pressed his chest right up against Tigress's back, placed his feet right next to hers, between her legs. Finally, Po rested his head on her shoulder, pressing cheek to cheek. Tigress blushed at this act, but if it helped her, she decided to comply.

"Now, I want you to let your mind flow freely. Let the thoughts travel through your mind. Find your true peace."

Tigress let out a sigh, thinking this would never work. As Po guided Tigress's hands and feet into the motion of the Inner Peace dance however, she felt something change, she felt relaxed, she felt warm, her mind was at ease.

**A/N: Now would be a good time to start the music.**

As the two warriors pressed against each other, swaying back and forth, a small droplet fell from the top of the cave, down onto Tigress's paw. This time, it did not break, and the trance began.

_Lost in darkest blue_

_Endless labyrinths weaving through_

The image of Po, falling into the water, bashing against the rocks clouded her mind, mocking her, taunting her.

_Will you stagger on,_

_With no star to light your way?_

The feeling of being useless to everyone, simply because her light in the world was gone. She felt pain, not just because of her loss, but because there was nothing she could do.

_Share with me your tears_

_All your troubles and deepest fears_

_I remember when_

_you chased all my shadows away_

But, now the pain was gone. Po was back, and his arms were wrapped around her. All her pain had subsided, her head was clear. Po … He has done more for her than he will ever know. The memories of the time they spent together rushed through her mind as the trance continued.

_Won't you take my hand?_

_Come away with me from this land_

_Let me give to you_

_All that you have given to me_

Gently, Po guided Tigress's hand's and feet through the different motions. Even though he was helping her learn this move, she was doing great. Since his return, seeing Tigress, his mind has been at ease, calm even. He wanted to end Tigress's torment, no matter what.

_Fly horizon bound_

_Find the moon behind darkening clouds_

_Even far apart,_

_Know our souls together will be_

The moon shone into the cave, shining on the warriors fur as they continued the movements. Getting closer to the climax of the dance, Po and Tigress could feel each others heartbeat against one another. It was as if they were one whole person. They weren't alone anymore.

_When the storm draws nigh_

_Dreams will shatter before your eyes_

_Know that you're not alone_

_When the battle starts_

_I will comfort your restless heart_

_You'll know that you are home_

The hug in the prison, the hug at the docks, sharing a bed, the dance at the festival and the kiss that almost was. All these memories ran through her head. Po was the light in her life, the fire in her heart. Fire is hot right? Well, she loved the heat. Resting her head next to Po's, she could feel his warmth all over her body as he guided her through the movements. Before Po knew it, he didn't have to guide her anymore, but didn't want to break her concentration by moving. Also, he enjoyed being this close to her. As they approached the end, Tigress took control and Po hovered his hands close to hers, keeping her steady.

_When your stars stop shining_

_Endless vines around you winding_

_Know that you're not alone_

_I will give my all_

_So you're tears will no longer fall_

_Down, down on sorrow's stone_

As Tigress leaned to one side, the droplet fell from her hand and onto the ground. As she leaned back up, she let out a gasp of air. Po didn't move from his position, and neither did she.

"I did it" gasped Tigress

"I know … it was cool."

Tigress let out a small chuckle. The memories of them still swirling through her mind. She turned her head to Po's and faced him eye to eye.

"Thank you Po."

Po blushed at the closeness of their lips, but kept his cool. He stared into those beautiful yellow eyes, and she did the same.

"No problem."

Tigress leaned her head closer to his …

"No Po … I mean, thank you."

For the first time ever, Po's lips touched another pair of lips. Panda and Tiger shared their first kiss with each other. Their lips pressed deeply on each others, getting the sweet taste on their lips.

_Look into my eyes_

_All eternity you will find_

_In this fragile heart_

_Know that you will always belong_

Po lowered his hands slowly, and placed the on Tigress's waist, caressing her lovingly. As Po did this, she turned around, not breaking the kiss, to face him. Her chest, pressed up against his as their kiss went much, much deeper.

_Shout into the night_

_Show the darkness that you will fight_

_Hopeless you may feel,_

_But inside I know you are strong_

Tigress's tail, found it's way to Po's leg and began to stroke it playfully. Po let out a few groans and this pleasurable act. As the tail continued to rub up his leg, he slid one hand down and began to caress the tip of the tail. Tigress purred as he did this, and cheekily bit Po's lower lip, wanting to kiss him more.

_Keep me in your heart_

_So we'll never be far apart_

_Let the bonds of love_

_Break these chains imprisoning you_

Po slid his other hand up Tigress's shirt and playfully scratched her back. Goosebumps appeared all over Tigress's body. It felt good, the shivers all over her, made her yearn for more. Without giving Po anytime to think, she stuck her tongue inside Po's mouth, which caught him greatly of guard. The wet tongue swirled around in him mouth, until he returned the gesture and licked the tip of her tongue with his. They danced in each others mouth, sharing saliva and much hidden passions.

_Always will you find_

_Shadow lingering close behind_

_Lift your spirits now,_

_We shall be together soon_

As they continued their loving embrace, Po fell back, taking Tigress with him. He sat up, with Tigress on his lap. Much to his surprise, and both their pleasure, Tigress had already wrapped her legs around Po. Once again, they continued their passionate kiss. For now, the world and everything in it didn't matter to them, all that mattered, was each other.

_When the storm draws nigh_

_Dreams will shatter before your eyes_

_Know that you're not alone_

_When the battle starts_

_I will comfort your restless heart_

_You'll know that you are home_

They both decided to let their hands wander each others bodies as they continued their kiss. However, Po knew his limits, this would not go further than either one of them wanted to go. He loved Tigress and respected her, he would never take advantage. He slid his hand from her back, all the way around to her stomach, and began to rub it. He could feel the scars that Razputin left on her. Ignoring that, he continued to stroke her stomach, which pleased Tigress to no end. When he was there, Tigress felt his hand stroke the scars on her stomach. They were tender, but Po's touch felt good. The frisky feline moved her hand up towards Po's strong broad shoulders, where she caressed them. As Po did for her, she also felt the scars that were left by that accursed bear. If it felt good for her, it must feel good for him. Tigress continued to stroke his scars, which made Po tingle all over. As her hands wandered up to his neck, up towards his cheek. One hand remained on his shoulder, the other stroked his cheek. Po placed one hand on her back, and pulled her in close. The hand that was on her stomach, made its way up to her cheek, and he returned the loving gesture.

_When your stars stop shining_

_Endless vines around you winding_

_Know that you're not alone_

_I will give my all_

_So you're tears will no longer fall_

_Down, down on sorrow's stone_

The two warriors: Panda and Tiger continued to stroke each others faces as they broke their kiss for air. As they stared into each others eyes, out of love and amazement, not a single word was uttered. Until Tigress said something. Something she has wanted to say for some time.

"I wanted to tell you this so long ago ..."

"...Then tell me now."

"... I love you Po"

"I love you too, Tigress."

A few tears of joy escaped Tigress's face as they continued their love filled kiss. They embraced each other into the darkest hours of the night. They were in love, be it by fate or by chance, life had brought them to this point and now, they had each other. No matter what would happen in the future, they both knew that the had each other, and they would love each other until the day they died.

_Know that you're not alone._

A/N: … Even I'm teary eye over this chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed this one. Review, and let me know what you think. I'll update asap. Now, I think I'll have some fun with my 'distraction'. Hehehe, laters.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Over 100 reviews and over 10,000 views. Thank you all for being so awesome. It feels great to pass that milestone, I just hope I continue to give you great entertainment. Once again, sorry this took so long, my 'distraction' distracted me. For those of you curios, my 'distraction' who I love very much is AdelinaMarie1695. Love you sweetie. Enjoy. Warning: This chapter contains violence, gore and mild language. Perfect.**

**Chapter 13: Spirit of the Sky**

The moon was full, the stars covered the sky and everyone in the hidden village was sound asleep. Monkey had fallen asleep next to a bunch of drunken villagers from drinking to much. Viper fell asleep near the fire, keeping her nice and toasty. Mantis fell asleep close to Viper, simply because he enjoyed being with her.

That night, once they had returned, everyone was shocked to see who fell asleep so close to one another. Po and Tigress. Even though they didn't announce it, everyone could see they were now a couple. Po fell asleep on his back, as per usual. Tigress fell asleep on him. His stomach acted as the perfect mattress and pillow. His fur was so warm and soft, and after all the time they were separated and what they did in the cave, they wanted to be close to each other.

Tigress purred as she nuzzled her head into Po's chest. Even though he was asleep, he stroked the back of her neck with one of his hands. Tigress purred even more. Her tail began to move on its own and stroked the Po's leg. Throughout the whole night, the two slept with a smile on their faces.

Hovering above the village, near the entrance to the cave were Master Shifu and Master Dao, who were having a heart to heart talk while over looking the village.

"It seems like your daughter has found a new bed, amongst other things." said Dao, who was looking at the lovely couple down below. Shifu also looked at the two. He was happy for them, but as a father he was also cautious.

"Yes … amongst other things."

"Come now Shifu, don't tell me you aren't happy for them"

"No no, I am very happy … it's just fatherly instincts."

"I understand, you just want your daughter to be safe."

"Exactly"

"And you don't think your daughter is safe with my boy?" Dao said feigning a hurt sarcastic tone.

"Oh, I didn't mean … I … uh …"

"Hahaha, it's okay Shifu, I completely understand. You want your child to be safe, but at the same time you want them to be happy. Look at them Shifu, tell me, don't you think she looks happy?"

"Of course she does."

"And do you think she will be safe as long as he is with her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then there is no need to worry"

"I know … it's just … recently I have stopped being her master, now I want to be a father. Now that she has Po, I don't think I will have the chance."

Shifu closed his eyes slightly in sadness. Dao reached over to his old friend and patted him on the back. The small red panda looked up to see a smiling face look down to him.

"Shifu, you have always been that girls father. You gave her a home, food, and she knows you love her. No matter what happens between those two, you will always be her father, no matter what."

" … Thank you, my dear friend"

As Dao removed his hand, a small smile found its way onto Shifu's face. Dao was right. Even after his death, he will always be Tigress's father. No matter what. As the two continued to overlook the village, Dao let out a small sigh. Having big ears, Shifu easily heard this, and decided to question his friend.

"Okay, so whats wrong with you?"

"Nothing really."

"Come now, I told you my problems, it's only fair you tell me yours."

"Okay okay. It's Po, I haven't seen him in thirty years. How can I simply go up to him and call him my son?"

"With ease I think" said a voice coming from the dark. The two masters turned to see who it was. Out of the shadows came carrying three bowls of noodles. He continued to walk over to the masters and sat between them. He gave one bowl each to each of them, saving the last for himself.

"Thank you, but what do you mean" asked Dao

"I mean what I said, you should be able to call him your son easily. Oh look at them down there, they look so happy."

Shifu let out a small chuckle at the goose's statement. Dao however, placed his bowl down to the ground and faced the old goose.

", I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of Po. You took him into your home and raised him as a son, because of this, I am no longer his father. You are"

grabbed his chopsticks and whacked Dao on the top of the head with them. Dao let out a sharp yelp and rubbed the top of his head.

"Now listen to me. You are right, Po is my son, I raised him all by myself and I love him dearly. However that doesn't change the fact that Po is your biological son. In my eyes, I think he is lucky. He has a father that is a fantastic cook, and another father who is a Kung Fu master. Po has two fathers."

Dao began to smile and laugh at the same time.

"You really are a strange man"

"Haha, no problem. Now eat, I know that a Panda can eat a lot."

The three fathers laughed and began to eat. Along with the meal, brought three cups of sake. Each of the men took one glass, raised it and made a toast.

"To our children"

With that, they drank into the night.

As everyone slept in the village, in the woods trouble was brewing. The small search party of Shens minions were still hunting throughout the woods. If they went back empty handed, it would be their demise. High above the sky, Razorbeak flew over them, getting a much better view. He had not forgotten what Crane had did to his brothers. He blew them up with their own explosives. Razorbeak was well known for being a professional killer, but this time, this time it was personal.

As the search continued, morning came. The bright warm sun woke up most of the villagers. Those who drank to much the previous night suffered the most. Hangovers are the worst, but no matter what, Monkey couldn't stay away from the booze for long. Viper woke up to find Mantis nuzzling into her tail, wrapping it around himself as some sort of security blanket. Viper smiled at the adorable little insect. She leaned in and playfully hissed at Mantis, tickling him with her tongue. The small master woke up in laughter, much to the joy of them both.

Po and Tigress woke up at the same time. As they did, the events of the previous night rushed through their minds. As they looked at each other, eye to eye, they smiled.

"Morning Tigress"

"Morning Po"

Tigress leaned in and kissed Po firmly on the lips. They were soft and warm, and it felt good. The villagers nearby began to whistle at the couple, which made them blush. That did not stop them however, as they did not break the kiss. Only one thing would stop them … and it did.

"Ahem" said Shifu as he cleared his throat, right beside his two students. Which caused them to break the kiss and stand up immediately.

"M-Master Shifu" said the two, nervously. At this point in time, Po feared for his life. He looked over to Tigress and gave her a look that said 'nice knowing you'.

"I see you have already had your breakfast" said Shifu, mockingly and slightly angry. Po gulped and braced himself for the ass-kicking that was to come.

"Come, we must discuss what we are going to do."

As Shifu walked past them, they both let out a sigh of relief.

One by one, Po, Shifu, Dao and the five sat in Dao's hut, around the table and began their discussion of what should be done.

"Po, you said something last night about meeting the emperor?" questioned Shifu

"Yeah, if what you guys have told me is true, then Shen has an army big enough to cause a lot of trouble."

"Not to mention that his victory over us will bring more to his cause." Tigress added in.

"Good point. So the only way I think we can take on this army is to get our own. We need the help of the imperial army."

"Whoa, hey wait a minute. What if the Emperor doesn't want to help us?" asked Mantis

"If the situation is bad enough, he will have to help." Crane pointed out.

"He will help. He is a good friend of mine." said Shifu

"What will we do with the Villagers?" questioned Monkey

"Dao, is it okay if we leave the Villagers here for now, where it will be safe?" Shifu asked

"Of course. The Panda Warriors and I will protect your people"

"So, when do we make our move?" asked Viper

"When we are ready to move, we will" Po stated.

Everyone nodded at this and made their way out of the hut, to prepare themselves. Po and Tigress decided to go grab something to eat. As they left, Dao watched them as he stood in his doorway. With all that happened the previous night, he didn't have the chance to talk to Po, but he wanted to, and this could be his only chance. He had to push himself out of the doorway and dashed to catch up to the young couple.

"Po, wait a minute"

"Oh, hey, whats up?"

"Do ... Do you mind if we have a talk?"

"Uh, sure"

"I mean … alone"

The smile on Po's face immediately turned into fear and nervousness. He knew who Dao was, and he also wanted to talk. But after thirty long years, what can anyone say? Looking for strength, he looked in Tigress's eyes. She simply smiled, and nudged him towards his father.

"Go on, you two have your talk, I'll go get us something to eat."

As the cheerful tiger master left, Po and Dao could instantly feel a lump in their throats. Deciding to break the ice, Dao suggested that they go for a walk near the river. They walked up the small hill and down towards the river. It was a peaceful day, so the water was calm. The fish swam peacefully, flowing with the water. Side by side, father and son began to walk next to the river. It was silent for quite some time … a long time. Then almost exactly the same time, they both spoke.

"So you are the Dragon Warrior?"

"So you are a Grandmaster?"

The stopped and stared at each other, and then laughed. It was ridiculous at how nervous they were. Dao and Po laughed hard, harder than they had ever laughed before. Even if they haven't seen each other for thirty years, they were still father and son, they should be able to talk. Wiping a few tears of laughter from his eye, Dao once again spoke.

"Hahaha, yes I am a Grandmaster. Your friends have told me about your achievements."

"Yeah … it has been a wild time. Loving every second of it."

"Haha, I'm glad you're having a good time."

"So your the Grandmaster of …?"

"Panda style."

"Huh, I wonder if there are a few moves you could teach me."

"I would gladly love to teach you some tricks Po, but as your said you and your friends will be leaving today."

"Yeah, but when this is all over, I'm gonna come back."

"You will?"

"Yeah, I mean, I've never seen any other Panda's in my life."

"Oh, I see …"

"And … my Dad sorta lives in this village … I wanna make up for lost time."

Once again, silence filled the air. Po stopped to face his father, who was crying. He cried with a smile on his face.

"Po … my son. I thought I lost you years ago. I had always hoped I would find you, but when you arrived, I feared you would not see me as a father because you already have one"

"Hey, I'm lucky to have two dads. One dad gave me a home when I had lost everything. And you saved me, I can never thank you enough for what you did. You … and my mother."

"Xiao … your mother … I miss her dearly."

" … I saw her."

"What? Where?"

"When I was knocked out, she brought me to the spirit world. That's where I met her."

"I … see."

Dao looked both confused and hurt. He was happy that Po was able to meet his mother, but his own love for Xiao, and the pain in his heart gave him great sorrow. He swore that he would protect her until he drew his last breath, and yet she died before he did. Time heals all wounds, they say. In this case, it doesn't seem so. Po saw the pain in his fathers eyes. He placed one of his paws on his shoulder, and without batting an eyelid, he spoke the truth.

"You did your best Dad. Mom isn't here anymore, but now we have each other. My family was torn apart thirty years ago … I wont let it happen again"

Dao placed his hand on the hand that was on his shoulder. He looked his son right in the eyes and said "thank you, my son."

The next thing they heard was a loud horn coming from the forest. The horn was being blown by one of the bandits. They had been found. From out of the forest came many bandits.

"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK. WARRIORS, TO ARMS!" Shouted Dao at the top of his lungs. The Panda warriors, Shifu and the Five dashed up the hill and down towards the river to help. Po and Dao already stood in their fighting stances when their comrades came to join them. Nearly a hundred bandits stood before them, the leader was Fang, who was in disbelief of what he saw.

"The Dragon Warrior still lives!" shouted Fang

"You better believe it!" shouted Po

Fangs eyes then dashed over to the Panda's that stood beside Po.

"That's impossible, Shen killed all the Panda's"

"He obviously did not do a good job of it" replied Dao

"No matter, we will finish the job. Men! Attack!"

The bandits jumped over the river and charged towards the heroes, who did the same. As they charged at each other, ready to fight, Razorbeak began to swoop down towards them. His talons were ready to tear Po's head right of his shoulders. He would be deemed 'the man who killed the Dragon Warrior'. Just as he was about to strike for the kill, he felt a swift kick in the face, sending him back. Once he regained his composure, he noticed who kicked him. It was Crane, the one who ruined him. As the two floated in the air, they had their confrontation.

"You!"

"What about me?"

"I have a score to settle with you!"

"Why?"

"You killed my men, my brothers!"

"What was I suppose to do? Just lie back and let you kill us?"

"Yes! If you did, your death would have been quick and painless, but now, I will make sure your suffering is nice and slow."

"I'd like to see you try"

"I will avenge my brothers!"

Razorbeak gave Crane no time to think. He lunged at the avian with his beak. Crane had barely enough time to dodge to one side. As he did, he smacked the Eagle with the back of his wing. As Razorbeak shook his head in slight pain, Crane took of into the sky. Razorbeak gave chase.

As the battle on the ground continued, Crane and Razorbeak flew into the clouds. Once again, they were trying to outwit one another. Though Crane was not known for his fighting skill, he was very well known to be a tactician. He always scouted the area, always thought of the next move. However, Razorbeak was also known for being tactical and far more devious. For both birds, this would be the hardest battle of their lives.

Crane flew in and out of the clouds, trying to track his enemy. Little did he know, he was already being tracked. Razorbeak flew above Crane and positioned himself right below the sun. Crane saw his shadow and turned around to face him, when he did however, he was blinded by the sun. In his temporary blindness, Razorbeak dove towards him, brandishing his beak. Once again, Crane just had enough time to move to one side, avoiding the sharp weapon. However, he was not fast enough as the razor slightly scratched his face. Letting out a small hiss of pain, Crane took of into the clouds once more.

As he did with the moon, he would do with the sun. He hoped that the sun would reflect off Razorbeaks beak and give away his position. He continued to fly around, trying to hide himself in the clouds, being as quiet as possible.

He waited ….

and waited …

and waited some more …

then he saw something glimmer in the clouds.

Without giving it second thought, he dashed towards the object at full speed. He stuck his beak out, and at the speed he was going, he made himself into a living spear. Out of the clouds he dashed, and Razorbeak had barely any time to move. Luckily for him, he dodged in time, but just like Crane, the side of his face was scrathed.

The two birds floated in the air, a good distance from one another. Never taking their eyes of one another. Blood trickled down the side of their faces as they planned their next move. As tacticians this could go on for days, but they didn't have the time for it. They had no other choice but to end this quickly. At exactly the same time, they dashed towards each other at full speed. When they were at the perfect distance, they stopped opened their wings and shouted.

"WINGS OF JUSTICE!"

Using their wings to send a shockwave of air at one another, they collided, causing the cloud around them to separate and vanish into the distance. The force of these moves bashing against each other, even affected the fight down below. The force of air sent a good number of them down to the ground. Po was able to stand his ground from the force. Once it passed, he looked up and saw the two birds, fight in the air.

Crane and Razorbeak blocked and dodged numerous kicks from one another. If they stopped flapping their wings, they would fall, so kicking was all they could do. Once or twice Razorbeak tried his best to bite one of Cranes legs off, but failed miserably. After blocking and dodging for so long, the two finally got a good blow on one another. Crane and Razorbeak stretched out their leg as much as they could and booted each other in the face. Razorbeak could feel one side of his skull cracking. His beak also began to bend to one side. Crane could also feel one side of his skull crack, but Razorbeak was clever. When he kicked him, he made sure to lets his sharp talons stick out. Because of this, one of the talons found its way into Cranes eye. As it dug its way in, blood spurted out, along with eye juices and puss. Crane screamed in agony as the strong kick sent the two flying away from each other.

Crane was now blind in one eye and the pain was causing him to black out. He didn't even see Razorbeak dash towards him. Once he was close enough, he took one giant swipe at him with his talons and slashed him across the chest. The cut was so deep that it just nicked his organs. The pain was unbearable, Crane began to black out.

As he fell from the sky, the last thing he saw was the clear blue sky. Being a bird, he loved to fly. He soared gracefully over and under the clouds. He was never the strongest, but he had grace and style. Funnily enough, when he was a child he was afraid to fly, simply because he was afraid to fall. His father talked him out of this fear by telling him that if he didn't try to soar as high as he could, he would not get far in life. Ever since then, he has taken to the sky with ease. It's what made him special, it's what made him feel free.

The next thing he knew, Razorbeak dove onto him, placing his talons around his neck, sending them both down to earth. Crane tried to struggle, but his wounds were too severe. More and more, they plummeted down to the earth. They were going so fast that they almost broke the sound barrier. Po and the others had just sent the bandits running. They had just enough time to turn around to see the horror that followed.

Closer and closer, the two birds got closer to the ground. Razorbeak, refusing to let go of Cranes neck, Crane who was too powerless to move, could only accept his fate.

Closer …

Closer …

Closer … until

_CRAAAAAAACK!_

Razorbeak drove the back of Cranes neck into a rock, which caused it to break instantaneously. The sound of his neck cracking echoed all throughout the forest. The sound sent chills throughout Po, Shifu and the Five. They had just watched their friend be killed. As Crane hit the rock, his life flashed before his eyes. His final thoughts were of Mei Ling. The girl he wished he had the courage to ask out. His thoughts drifted off to his friends, the ones who accepted him. With his final breath, he uttered the words "Thank you."

Crane lay on the ground, dead, with Razorbeak drifting above him, gloating.

"That was for my fallen brothers!"

"And this is for our fallen friend"

Razorbeak looked up to see Viper, flying towards her. She wrapped herself around the Eagle and brought him down to earth. With a loud thud, they landed and once they did Viper wrapped herself tightly around his neck and began to choke the life out of him. Tears escaped her eyes as she murdered the bird in cold blood. The others watched as she did this. They wanted a piece of him too, but watching his life drain away from him was good enough.

After squeezing hard enough, everyone heard Razorbeaks neck snap like a twig. Viper let him go and slithered over to Crane. Everyone else surrounded him, mourning him, admiring his bravery.

Everyone was silent. Po, Shifu and the Four wept over their fallen comrade and friend. They all knew the risks, but never imagined that one of them would actually die. Po was crushed, but he had little time. He turned to Dao and gave an order.

"Your village has been found. Shen will come here. Tell everyone to pack their essentials, they will have to come with us to the Imperial City. Go pack, and meet up with us in an hour."

Dao nodded and gave his order to the villagers. Po looked to his dear friends and nodded on what to do.

An hour passed and everyone stood around Po and the others. They were ready to leave, but had to do one thing first. Everyone was silent as Po drove a giant stick into the ground. In the ground was Crane, buried. On the stick was a sign that read:

Here lies Crane

Noble Warrior who defended this Village,

Defended his friends

and Fought with honor

May his spirit soar the sky forever

The final touch was to be placed on the stick. Shifu approached Po and handed him Cranes beloved hat. Po placed the hat on top of the stick and tied it down. This was the final resting place of Master Crane. All who would see it, would know of his bravery. As time went by, the villagers began to leave, leaving Po, Shifu and the Four to mourn their friend.

Monkey was the first to say goodbye to his friend, who he had shared many drinks with.

Viper was next. She would never forget her friend who showed her the joys of flying.

Tigress soon followed. Before she grew a heart, Crane was the smartest one of them all, and she respected him very much for it. Recently, she had noticed how much of a good friend he was.

Mantis reluctantly said goodbye. He spent many a time on that hat, he wasn't even sure if Crane wanted him on his hat or not, but he never complained. He was always there to help his friends, and never complain.

Shifu bowed in respect to his student. It is never easy for a Master to say goodbye to a student in such a way. He had trained Crane well, and he was always proud of him.

Po was the last one there. He stood face to face with the makeshift tombstone. He remembered that when he first arrived, Crane was the first person to faintly show any kindness towards him. Always one to help those who needed it. Crane was always there to back him up. He helped him get unstuck from doing the splits. Whenever he miscalculated a jump, Crane picked him back up. Now he was gone, but he would never be forgotten.

Po reached in and patted the top of the hat.

"Cya around buddy, we'll miss you"

As Po turned and left, the wind picked up its pace. Finally, no one was left in the hidden village. Only the memorial to Crane was there. Once more the wind got stronger. Cranes hat blew of the stick and into the sky. For one final time, Crane flew freely throughout the air, becoming one with nature. He was gone, but the spirit of Crane would forever be in the sky.

**A/N: Goodbye Crane, you shall be missed. Review and tell me what you think. I'll update asap, so don't worry. I will let you all know what happens next. By the way, I just learned that this year is the Chinese year of the Dragon. YAY! Once again, thank you all for getting me past the 100 review milestone and 10,000 views milestone. Laters**


	14. Update

Hello Everyone. I have been gone for quite some time. This is due to a mental breakdown I had, followed by therapy and untimely family loss. I have decided to continue with this project as so many of you have asked for it. Don't worry, i promise more tears and bloodshed. I will update this as soon as i can. I offer as many apologies as i possibly can. Thank you. If you wish to follow me and see what i am doing, check out my blog:

hawkeyehompage

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blogspot

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co

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uk

again, a thousand apologies for all those who have been waiting. But i am back, and i am ready to finish this. Laters


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: It's been fun to see everyone's reaction to Cranes death. Some thought it was beautiful, some felt it was harsh but not everyone can live forever, and some have chased me with pitchforks. I stand by what I did and I'm proud of it. I am sorry for the leave of absence, but I had a few issues to deal with. Anyway, let us continue with the story. Enjoy. Warning: this story contains violence, gore and mild language. Sigh, I love my job.**

**Chapter 14: The Voodoo you do**

For days the large group traveled towards the Imperial City. The went at a steady pace and rested frequently. The Pandas felt nervous from leaving their home once more, but knew it has to be done. The Villagers from the Valley were still scared but felt more relaxed knowing that Po was back and that the majority of the Pandas were trained warriors.

Po, Shifu and the four however, felt as glum as ever. Even after a few days, the sound of Cranes neck snapping like a twig still haunted them. It was weird not having him around. Normally he would fly high in the sky and keep an eye out for enemies. With his death, not only did this leave them at a tactical disadvantage, it also made them feel incomplete. Crane was one of them, and they all missed him dearly.

Each of the masters found their own way to cope with the pain. Since Po was leading everyone to the Imperial City he was at the front of the pack, along with him was Tigress. The two needed each other right now, and they would gladly be beside each other to show comfort.

Shifu, having lost many people he cared about in his past, dealt with this pain better than the others did, but death is never easy, no matter how experienced you are with it. He stayed in the middle of the pack with Dao. He wanted to talk to his old friend whom he had not seen in over thirty years. Monkey was nearby. He didn't want to talk to anyone about it. Instead of forcing him to talk, the others decided to leave him be. He would open up when he was ready.

At the back of the group was Viper and Mantis. Viper felt the most pain out of them all, simply because she was so fragile. Anyone who knew Viper knew she was a strong warrior, but that doesn't stop her from being a woman, having a heart and being innocent. Up until she chocked the life from Razorbeak, she had never taken a life. She fought for peace and prosperity, but the death of her friend opened her eyes completely. She thought that she and her friends would stay together forever and save China from any threat, but this is no story, this is no fable. This is real. People will get hurt, people will suffer and in some cases people will die. This realization shook her to her core. Mantis who was nearby tried to think of something, anything to say to her. He deeply cared for the snake, but felt so embarrassed to do anything. One way or another he would have to put his insecurities to one side and help his friend, who badly needed it.

Out of nowhere, Po ordered the convoy to stop. As they did, Shifu, Monkey and Dao all rushed up ahead to see what the problem was. Mantis was about to follow, but stayed behind when he noticed Viper sulking on the ground.

"Why have we stopped?" asked Shifu who had just reached Po, along with Dao and Monkey.

"We gotta discuss what route we should take." said Po.

"What are our options?" asked Dao.

"One way is an open field. No danger, but we can be easily spotted by enemies, and risk an attack." stated Tigress.

"And the other way is?" asked Monkey

"Through that swamp hidden by the trees." Tigress stated once again.

"Whats so bad about the swamp?" questioned Monkey

"That is 'The Swamp of Lost Souls'. It's said that if you fall into the murky water, you never come out." said Po, who was acting a tad bit fanboyish. Tigress shook her head, but smirked at Po.

"So, its a choice between openly revealing ourselves, or carefully walk through a swamp?" said Shifu.

"Seems that way." said Dao.

"What do you guys think?" asked Po

"I think we should -".

As the small grouped talked at the front, at the back Mantis approached Viper and tried to comfort her.

"Hey..." said Mantis, weakly. Viper said nothing, she didn't even raise her head to look at the insect. Mantis was thrown off just a little, but decided to press on. "So … good weather we have today right?"

Again, silence.

"So, uh, hey, I was wondering if -"

"Why Mantis?"

"Huh?" the sudden voice of Viper threw him of once again.

"Why did he have to go and die? Things were fine before and now they are ruined."

Mantis was silent for nearly a whole minute, until he answered, softly.

"Crane knew the risks, we all do. He did what he felt was right."

"But we aren't suppose to die! I have trained all my life so I could protect everyone, including my friends and myself. I trained myself to fight those risks of death, and yet I failed!"

"Viper, you can train all you like but you can't protect everyone"

"Oh? And why not?"

Viper was starting to get teary eyed, which made Mantis hurt inside. He knew what he had to say and do, but if he did it would only make her cry even more. Breaking the news to someone so fragile is a difficult thing to do, but Mantis had to do it, for her sake.

"We are warriors, we have trained to fight evil, stop evil and protect all that we can. But we are only mortal. Eventually we all die. I will die, you will die, we all will at one point in time. Deep down we all know this. We try to shrug it off and imagine that good will always win and that everyone and everything will be okay, but it's not like that."

Viper remained silent as she stared at the insect, who for once wasn't playing any tricks or pranks. For the first time, he was being mature, sincere and honest. Vipers mind was still racked with pain and guilt, but she had to admit that Mantis looked good right now.

"Crane gave his life to try and protect those he cared about. It's what we do, that is what we trained for … I can't promise much but I swear to protect those I care about … even you."

Mantis blushed and turned his head away. Vipers eyes shot wide open at the last part of that sentence. Mantis swore to protect her. He really cared that much? If what he said was true then he must have strong feelings for her, right?

Mantis braced himself for some sort of smack on the head. Indeed, he did feel the tip of her tail on his body, but instead of being hit, she pulled him in to a hug. Viper wrapped her tail around Mantis and pulled him in close to her chest. Mantis could hear her heartbeat. It was fast, she was excited. Mantis' tiny little heart was also racing fast, simply because he was this close to someone he had a crush on for the longest time. As the two hugged, Viper whispered the words 'Thank you', which made the small insect hug her more.

As the two embraced each other at the back, at the front a decision was made.

"Okay, so we go through the swamp" said Po.

"Agreed" said everyone else.

"Okay. Erm...'Dad', can you and Shifu tell everyone what we are doing. Me, Tigress and Monkey will check our supplies and see if there is anything we can lose to shed some weight."

Dao and Shifu nodded and began to get to work. Po, Tigress and Monkey all took of to double check their supplies for anything useless. Po only took a few steps towards the bags when he stood on a sharp stone. The stone drove its way up into his nerve, which caused a sharp pain to shoot all over his body. He tried to hold it in. He bit his lip. He held his breath, but eventually …

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Do you like that?" asked Wello?

"Mmmmmm, very much so, ahhhhh oooh, a little … little lower." said Shen

Shen was lying, face first into the bed he and Wello slept on. After a long day of training , Wello decided to reward her lover by giving him a back massage. He was tense, sore and pulled one of two muscles in his training process. Truth be told, Wello enjoyed every second of it. Watching him move, watching him sweat, watching him break things sent shivers down her whole body. It felt good. Now, she was rubbing his back, the body she wanted to touch while he was training. He felt soft in certain areas, in others he felt rugged and sore. It was a sensual treat to feel every inch of his back. She wanted to feel more, but decided to work Shen into it.

Shen knew what she was up to. Behind her beautiful face was a devious mind that was always planning ahead. It's one of the reason he loves her so much. Her soft white feathers felt so good on his aching back. More and more she pressed down, trying to get rid of all the knots in his muscles. As the pleasure was building up inside them both, Shen couldn't help but feel proud at his sense of achievement. So far he has mastered one hundred scrolls. He skipped the useless ones, for example: how to make energy replenishing tea. Wello however did read that scroll, simply because at one point Shen might need all the energy he could muster. Hehe.

In a short period of time Shen has mastered the Wuxi Finger hold, the ability to increase his speed and strength and many other lethal techniques. Since then, Shen has not relied on his weapons as much, but since his style is Cai Li Fo, he will forever hold onto them.

Shen was shook out of his daze by Wellos soft hands working their way up his long slender neck. As they traveled up and down, the seductive Swan leaned in and breathed on his neck.

"Mmmmmmm, you really are a wonder with your hands." muttered Shen.

"You should see what else I can do." whispered Wello, who used one of her hands to stroke the crest on the top of his head. The second her feathers touched his crest, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. It was one of the most sensitive parts on his whole body. In Shen's mind, he wanted Wello to work for what she wanted, but since she had just done this, she was close to getting it. Shen almost regretted telling her about his crest, because now all she has to do is play with it and it gets him excited. As said before, he _almost _regrets it.

Just as the seductive trance was getting good, a sudden knock on the paper thin door was heard. Shen let out a grunt and ignored it. Once again, there was a knock at the door. Shen was quickly becoming frustrated. He somehow broke out of his trance long enough to utter the words "Go … away ..."

Once again, it was silent and Wello resumed her seductive methods.

**KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK**

Shens devious red eyes shot wide open. This time he would not mutter it, he would shout at the top of his lungs. "I told you to GO-oooooooooohoohoohhoooooo"

Before Shen could even finish his threat, Wello used her beak to nibble and lick the sensitive crest. Shens whole body writhed in pleasure. The more she pressed onward the more gasp and moans escaped his mouth. He was Lord Shen, destroyer of the Panda race, proper heir to Gongmen city and he was being used by a woman. Strangely enough, he loved it. Wello was enjoying herself, pleasuring her man, the more she continued, the more she wanted to do to him. She brought down a powerful warlord to his knees and was now at her mercy. Some say that Shen is the powerful one in their relationship, but just between them, they both knew that Wello was the stronger one, simply because she can manipulate and seduce. However, just like Shen, she was becoming very agitated at whoever was at the door.

**KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK**

Enough was enough. Wello reached over to the side drawer near the bed, grabbed one of Shen knives, and threw it at the door. The knife tore through the paper like a hot knife through butter. Sadly, her aim was slightly off and she missed her target. The one knocking the door nervously stood close to the tear in the door and utter the words "S-s-sir, I have important information for you."

"Hmhm, it seems you need to practice your aim" mocked Shen, who was snickering into his pillow. Wello, slightly angry, playfully grabbed his crest from the bottom and stroked it all the way to the top. The sudden sensation caused Shen to let out a sharp gasp of air. He was about to turn around and return such sensations to his lover, when he heard the next couple of words however, his plans changed.

"Sir, our scouting squad was attacked. We were defeated. Sir we -"

Using his new found speed, within mere seconds he shoved Wello on to the bed, put on his robe, grabbed his lance, jumped through the door, destroying it completely and finally pinned down the messenger to the floor, putting his lance close to his neck. As it turns out, the messenger was Fang. Shen was so fast that the poor wolf never saw him coming. Even Wello was amazed at such speed. Fang wanted to question how he did that, but was immediately drawn to the sharp metal object merely inches from his face. Shens eyes were half slanted and his voice cold and malicious. If you think Shen was in a bad mood before, he is at his worst now, or he will be soon.

"Who defeated you?."

"The...the...furios five sir. They are the ones responsible."

Shen was now taken aback. His adversaries were still alive and still causing a nuisance. If they became to much of a problem, history could repeat itself. Shen began to panic, but just as he was about to blow his top, he quickly calmed himself down. The sadistic frown on his face quickly turned into a devious smile, accompanied with a small chuckle.

"I see no problem. Those cretins couldn't stand up to me before, they obviously can't stand up to me now. Hmhmhm, there is no threat. I already got rid of the only fool who could stop me. He is probably fish food by now."

"Um … My Lord ..."

"Yes?"

The wolf stood before his master, frozen from fear. What he had to say would not be easy, but he was loyal to Shen. He had to tell him. Slowly the wolf opened his mouth and uttered the rest of his message.

Outside the Jade Palace, a bunch of bandits were mulling around, being lazy and some were making ludicrous bets and wagers. It was a fun time for all.

Suddenly from out of the barrack doors came Fang, flying through the air. His nose was bleeding, numerous teeth had been knocked out of his mouth and the scream he made sent chills down the spines of all who could hear it. When he landed, a loud thud could be heard all throughout the Valley. When the nearby bandits turned to face who had hurt Fang, they were faced with pure evil. Shen stood at the doorway. His eyes burning with rage, his chest going up and down from breathing to fast. His knuckles were drenched in blood. Slowly, he turned his head to one side and cracked his neck. Step by step, clang after clang, he walked towards Fang, who was still on the floor. Shen grabbed the poor wolf by his pelt and dragged him to the top of the thousand stairs. This caught the attention of every single soldier in Shens army. Shen mercilessly threw Fang to the ground and shouted so loud that everyone could hear.

"Where are the others who went with you? Where are the other witnesses?"

The beaten wolf tried to muster the strength to speak but Shen was to rough on him, he barely had the energy to breath. Shen raised his foot and pressed down of Fangs back. The wolf grunted in pain as the sharp metal talons dug into his flesh. The tip of each blade was so deep it scraped the edge of his spine. To further increase the pain, while the talons were inside him he twisted his foot to one side, scrapping the sharp metal against the bone. Blood dripped out of each wound, more blood came out when the demented Peacock twisted his foot back and forth. Wanting the pain to stop, he turned his eyes over to his men who went with him on his search. Shen noticed his eye movement and immediately turned his own head to a bunch of cowering bandits in the corner. They were beaten and bruised. Shen took his foot of Fangs back and slowly brandished his lance from his robe while he walked over to them. The bandits shook in fear as Shen slowly approached them. The evil frown on his face never left him, his burning red eyes sent terror down everyone's spine. From out of the barracks came Wello who was tying the sash around her robe. She didn't come out for concern for the men, she just wanted to see the best part.

"Tell me it isn't true … tell me he is dead … he can't be alive … he, just, CAN'T!"

The cold long metal blade was inches away from them, which made every single one of them whimper. If they uttered the wrong words their lives would end tragically.

"Tell me the truth. Is he … ?"

None of the bandits could talk. Shen raised the blade above his head, ready to strike them down one by one, when suddenly a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Yes, he is alive. The Dragon Warrior is alive"

Shen turned around and what he saw made his mouth, and everyone's mouth drop. At the top of the thousand stairs was Razputin, the bear who everyone thought had died. Since he did not care much for Shen or his plans, he took his time coming back to the Valley. Luckily for the bandits, his return was perfectly timed.

Before anyone could blink, within a mere second, Shen had dashed over to Razputin, jumped onto his chest and grabbed him by the pelt on his neck. Everyone, including Razputin was shocked at such speed. The well built bear stood tall with Shen on his chest, hanging on to him so he wouldn't fall. The two warriors stared at each other, eye to eye. The cold metal spear was pressed up against Razputins neck. Most people would be terrified in this situation, but Razputin didn't even break a sweat. Shen may be faster and stronger, but deep down Razputin knew that he could take him, and that Po was still the better warrior … he hoped.

"How do you know he is alive?"

"Simple. I let him live."

At that very second everyone's eyes shot wide open and everyone let out a gulp. Even Wello was slightly scared of what Shen would do.

"W-w-w-why d-d-did you let him live?!" Said the outraged peacock, shaking from rage and barely able to speak because of it.

"I told you I wanted to fight him at his best to the death. He and I survived the fall. If I killed him then I would gone back on my word and goal. I do not care about you or your plans, I only care about my goal and my honor."

Silence filled the air once again. Oddly enough Shen didn't shout, didn't scream, he didn't so a single thing. He just smiled.

He smiled at the bear in front of him, but this was no ordinary smile. Some believe that pure rage is screaming, shouting and breaking anyone and anything in sight. However, in Shens case, pure rage was pure silence. He was so angry that he didn't know what to do. Killing him would be to nice. Torturing him wouldn't cut it either. All he could do right now was smile. It was an uneasy smile, a twitching smile, a smile that would make babies cry, and if they were already crying, stop them out of fear.

"You … let … him … live?"

"Yes, I did."

"Oooooooohhhhhh … what I'm going to do to you."

The angry Peacock turned his neck to the other side, and slowly cracked it.

"... I'm soooooo angry! I just don't know where to start."

"Are you sure you want to do something?" said Razputin while he slowly unsheathed his claws.

Shen was about to pull back on his lance and drive it into Razputins throat, but a small wolf warrior approached them both carrying a glass orb.

"Lord Shen, it's the orb, something is happening."

Shens eyes darted from Razputin to the wolf, then to the orb. It was glowing and emanating an eerie aura. Deciding to deal with the bear later, he jumped down from him and took the orb from the wolfs hands. As he did, Wello approached Shen. She knew about this orb and the significance it played. Through her mind, the events of what transpired a few days before the attack began to reemerge.

**A few days before the attack on the Valley**

As Shen and his entire army marched towards the valley of peace, all was quiet. Everyone waited in anticipation for the upcoming slaughter. Everyone, except Madame Du Croc. Being clairvoyant, she was able to see parts of the future. And being a voodoo woman, she had her own agenda. Souls were her trade, and while the souls of the victims of the valley would be a nice deal, she had her eyes set on only one. Even though Shen promised her the Pandas soul, she was not to keen oh his word. She saw that Po would survive the attack and make his way through a certain swamp. Unfortunately, for the Panda, that swamp was home to none other than Madame Du Croc. Having reached a decision, Madame Du Croc made her way through the crowd to meet with her ever so humble host.

"Shen, ya small white devil, I have something to give you."

"Madame Du Croc, I wish you wouldn't call me that"

"Haha, sorry Shen, but if I see it, I will call it as it is"

"Ugh, what do you want?"

Out of her long purple sash that was around her waist, she pulled out a glass orb. This was no ordinary glass orb. Shen and Wello could feel the magic emanating from it. Madame Du Croc took Shens hand and placed the orb in it.

"What is this for?"

"I have my own agenda to keep. I have seen into the future, just a little. I predict you will need this. I will call you when it is time to use it."

"I don't understand, what is -"

Before Shen could even get the rest of his question out, Madame Du Croc was gone. Vanished into thin air, which is impressive for a crocodile of her size. Without paying any attention to this, Shen placed the orb with the rest of his possessions and carried on.

**Present Day**

To this day, Shen had no idea what this orb was for, in fact no-one did. Shen, Wello, Razputin and all nearby troops stared at the orb, still unsure of what it was. Suddenly the orb began to glow brighter. Everyone was taken aback by this wonder. Even startled, Shen stood tall and firm, holding the orb in his hand. The soldiers were terrified but Shen, Wello and Razputin knew that there was magic brewing. Miles and miles away in the Swamp of Misery, Madame Du Croc was watching and waiting. The towering crocodile was hiding in the shadows, holding an identical orb in her scaly claw, and just like the orb at the Valley, it was glowing more and more with each passing second.

Gradually over time, the glow changed from a blurry white to a clear image and what Shen saw astounded him. Via the orb, he saw Madame Du Croc and vice versa. That's when it clicked. These ancient orbs are used for means of communication via magic. The recipients could see and hear each other perfectly. Madame Du Croc placed her scaly lips close to the orb to whisper so not to get caught.

"Shen ya small white demon bird. Can ya hear me boy?"

Slightly taken back by this wonderment, Shen nearly dropped the orb. After staggering around and fumbling his hands, Shen answered back.

"Um...Hello?"

"Hmhmhm, I didn't mean to startle ya young one. I just wanted to get ya ready for the show"

"What show?"

"This one"

With that, Madame Du Croc held the orb higher, showing Shen and his allies the area she was in. As the picture became more and more clear, Shen looked around to see what she was talking about. His beady little blood red eyes looked deeper and deeper, looking for a reason for this so called call. That's when he saw it, something that shouldn't have been there but it was. Those dark evil eyes darted from the orb to Fang, who was still bleeding out on the ground. Shen simply grit his teeth together and muttered the word.

"Pandas"

Fang, although dazed and beaten still managed to respond to his master.

"I'm sorry sir. I told you he was alive...I'm sorry I -"

Fang was quickly cut off by a very temperamental peacock.

"No! Not 'Panda', Pandas! There's more than one!"

Both Razputin and Wello were now glued to to the orb to confirm Shens news. As they looked at the glass object, so did he. The three warriors from the Valley, and Madame Du Croc watched as Po, Shifu, the Four and the Villagers traveled through the swamp. Instead of traveling in a lined unit, the Kung Fu masters walked around the villagers who were huddled into a circle. The Masters knew that this swamp was treacherous and had to take precautions. At the front of the circle was Po, Shifu and Mantis. On the left was Viper, and the right was Monkey. Dao and Tigress guarded the back. The formation would allow the team to pair up with someone with great speed and another with strength. Even though this was a well thought out formation, they were in the Madame's territory now.

Everyone remained quiet, listening and following the Masters instruction. A single wrong step would land them in the murky water, sending them to their watery grave. When they looked down to mind their footing they could see the skeletons of those who weren't so lucky. Poor unfortunate souls, be they traveler, adventurer or thug, they all fell into the water. Fear and paranoia gripped not only the villagers, but the Masters as well.

Madame Du Croc watched the traveling group with glee. This was her home, her territory, her land. Born and raised here, she knew the layout like the back of her hand, and with the aid of her mysterious skills, this made her home an ideal battleground.

As the huddling group pressed onward, always cautious and wary, Madame Du Croc reached into her sash and pulled out a small sack of white powder. Moving slowly, so not to be caught, she opened up the sack and emptied the contents into the water below. The devious crocodile grinned, showing off all her razor sharp teeth, as her powder began her work.

As if from out of nowhere a thick fog enveloped the huddling group, making them stop in their tracks. No-one could see what direction to walk next, and since the wrong step could mean an unfortunate end, no one dared move. The fog swirled around the heads of every single member of the group, almost as if the fog was trying to reach out for everyone. This was the opportune moment to strike, and with Shen watching she would be at her best.

As quickly as the fog rolled in, it began to leave. The masters were all left rather confused. But, just as the fog was almost gone, Madame Du Croc revealed herself and with a simple blow gun, fired a dart at her target: The Dragon Warrior. As the dart flew towards Po, Viper was the first to eye the crocodile, and the oncoming dart. With all her strength and speed, she lunged herself towards Po. As she got closer, so did the dart. Before Po, or anyone else could even blink, Viper nudged Po out of the way, but the dart still made its way, unwavering and lethal.

_THWIP_

As the dart pierced the young snakes rough skin, she let out a small scream, which caught the attention of all the other masters. As Viper collapsed to the floor, and the masters rushed to her side, Madame Du Croc stood there, in all her glory, laughing. Po, Tigress, Mantis, Monkey, Shifu and Dao all concerned for their comrade, had to force themselves to look away from Viper so they could see their attacker. When they all saw the lumbering crocodile, anger was slapped onto their faces.

''Hmhmhm, there be only room for one reptile in this scene'' said the gloating crocodile, still holding the orb, which Shen could still see out of. To make sure her adversaries didn't notice Shen, she hid the orb at her side. They could not see it, but Shen could see them.

''Who the hell are you?'' asked Po, who was gritting his teeth in anger.

''I am the majestic Madame Du Croc, and you, my dear guests are in my home. I would hate to be a terrible hostess. So, I thought id just invite you all to dinner.'' The unhinged crocodile grinned and chuckled devilishly as she stuck her tongue out and licked her teeth. Her intimidation scared the villagers and most pandas. The Masters stood firm, not phased by her threat. Right now, their min concern was Viper.

''What did you do to Viper?'' asked a raging Mantis who was cradling the snakes head.

''Hey! I didn't do anything to her. She did it to herself. I was aiming for the fat one. Hmhm, then again, in a group of Pandas, I'm not sure who the fat one would be''

Po slammed his foot down and got into his fighting stance, ready to strike. ''Answer him, what did you do?!''

''A rare and fatal poison is flowing through the girls veins. Normally, on a big person like yourself, it would be a slow and painful death, but on someone as small as her, I say she has thirty minutes.'' Everyone looked down to Viper, showing more concern than ever. Madame Du Croc simply scoffed as she continued her plan. Even though her original plan went astray, she was a quick strategist. ''On my possession is the cure for the poison, if you want it, then you'll have to catch me first!''

And with that, Madame Du Croc turned around and dashed in the opposite direction. Without giving a moments puase, Po, Tigress, Monkey and Mantis all took off. Shifu and Dao stayed behind as Shifu shouted out ''Retrieve the cure, we will tend to Viper and make our way out of the swamp! And for goodness sake, be careful!''

Po and his friends ran at full speed through the swamp, making sure not to fall into the murky water below. However, no matter how fast they went, they never caught up with the enigmatic crocodile. Not wanting to let Viper die, they all pressed on and eventually found themselves in another thick fog, but this one was different. It smelled funny, like something was off. The warriors took no notice of this as they pressed on. Po, beginning to feel tired eventually came to a halt, as did the others.

''Guys, where do you think she went? … guys? Guys?''

As Po looked around him, much to his surprise, his friends were gone. He couldn't see them through the fog. The other warriors experienced the same feeling as they had all become separated. This is what Madame Du Croc wanted, she had lured her pray away from the pack and separated them. She could only grin as she made her way to her first victim. Shen, still watching through the orb, could see everything that Du Croc showed him. He grinned devilishly as he prepared for a glorious show.

Monkey walked through the fog, searching for his friends and his attacker. Cautiously, he began to make his way back to Shifu and the others, deciding to retrace his steps. Monkey felt tired, not from all the walking, but mentally tired. Everyone has a way to cope with things, but Monkey had a different way. Crane was not Monkey's first death, far from it, but seeing so much of it left his mind in shambles, and with the loss of one of his closest friends, it tore his apart inside.

''...M..onk..ey''

Out of nowhere, Monkey heard his name being called. With a keen smile, he believed it to be one of his friends. He dashed quickly towards the voice, hoping to reunite with his group. Monkey was right, it was one of his friends, but not one he wanted to see.

From out of the water came a familiar figure. A face that Monkey thought he would never see again. It was Crane. He rose out of the water and made his way onto the ground supporting Monkey. Monkey watched in horror as he looked at his friend. Most of his feathers were gone, his eyes were pure white, his chest was open, his ribs and organs exposed, his blood replaced with the brown murky water that he rose out from and his neck was still broken. Whenever he moved, Monkey could hear the bones scraping against one another.

Crane took a few steps forward towards his old friend as Monkey took a few steps back.

''Why didn't you save me?'' asked the dead avian.

Monkey could only stutter as Crane pressed on.

''You failed me as a friend. I would've saved you. Weren't we friends?''

''Of course we were..are..of course'' replied Monkey, who slowly began to back himself into a corner.

''Liar. You couldn't save me!''

''I'm sorry''

''You couldn't save any of us!''

''W-what do you mean?''

Suddenly, more bodies rose out of the water. Victims of Tai Lungs and Shens murderous rampage. The guards, the civilians, all people that Monkey believed he could have saved. His guilt was literally coming to life. Monkey further pressed himself against a tree, backing himself more into his corner as the undead slowly approached him. Step by step, they began to speak.

''Why didn't you save me?''

''Where's my mommy? I want my mommy?''

''I thought we were friends''

As the words sank into Monkey's mind, he slowly began to fall to the floor, closing his eyes and wishing it all away. Before he knew it, he put himself into shock and couldn't move. His guilt had now consumed him. Before his eyes fully closed, the last thing he saw was a towering crocodile making her way through the undead, approaching him.

In another part of the swamp, Po was still lost. He continued to search for his friends and his attacker. As he pressed on, his mind switched back and forth between Viper, who badly needed help and Tigress, who he was deeply worried about. Tigress had the same thoughts, except about Viper and Po. However, as both warriors worried about each other, they both knew that the other could take care of themselves. As Po and Tigress ran through the swamp, blinded by the mysterious fog, they both stopped upon hearing a twig snap behind them. As they both turned around, what they saw, they couldn't believe. As Po turned, he was face to face with his old enemy, Tai Lung. As Tigress turned, she saw the enemy who brought her to the brink of death, Razputin.

Madame Du Croc, who had already dealt with Monkey, watched the show to come. The warriors believed that they were looking upon their adversaries, but in truth, they were looking at each other.

''How are you alive?'' asked a demanding Po who readied his fighting stance.

''I'm stronger than you think'' replied an angry Tigress, who cautiously prepared her fighting stance. Since they believed that they were looking at Tai Lung and Razputin, then they also believed that it was their voice that they were hearing. Madame Du Croc grinned as she held up her orb, allowing Shen to watch the oncoming show.

''I beat you once, I can do it again, and this time i'll finish the job''

''I'd like to see you try''

Po and Tigress clutched their fists and bared their teeth as they prepared to fight. They had to finish this fight quickly as they believed that their love needed them. As Du Croc, Shen and the others watched, Shen could only chuckle as he prepared for the fight of lifetime. ''Oooh, this is going to be good''

**A/N: So, what do you guys think. Have I lost my touch, or am I as good as ever? Anxious for the next chapter? Ready to see the lovers fight? Let me know what you think in the comments. Next chapter will be up soon. Laters**


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